AS she sipped margaritas and sunned herself in the Mexican paradise of Cancun, Kim Hall was having the time of her life.
But the dream holiday ended in a nightmare which could see her spend the rest of her years behind bars — after she agreed to bring two suitcases home for a pair of British men.
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They told her the bags contained only cash, yet she watched in horror when Homeland Security officials opened them during a random check to unveil 43kg of cocaine — worth a staggering £15million.
Stunned Kim collapsed in tears as she was handcuffed and hauled off to jail.
She is now facing 60 years behind bars but the terrified 28-year-old insists she is innocent and was forced to carry the bags at gunpoint.
Kim wept as she told The Sun: “I’m not a bad person. I’ve never been in trouble in my life and I’m not guilty of what they are accusing me of.
“They held a gun to my head and threatened to shoot me.”
“I’m not a drug trafficker and I’m going to fight with every bone in my body to prove my innocence.
Beautician Kim also begged the UK Government for help as she spoke out ahead of her latest court hearing tomorrow.
She told how she was offered a free holiday to Mexico by two British men she befriended on an earlier break to Portugal and who said they had real estate interests in Central America.
‘I’d been set up’
Towards the end of her week-long trip to Cancun, the men asked her to take two suitcases home with her, which they said were full of $250,000 in cash.
Kim, of Middlesbrough, said: “I agreed to it because there was no reason not to. It was just money and I didn’t see anything wrong in it.
“I had no suspicion that this was about drugs.
“But as I got set to return home, things became messy.
The two guys started to threaten me. They were annoyed because they thought I was trying to avoid taking the suitcases. One of them dragged me off the bed by my hair and held a handgun to my head
“There was a mix-up over the times that my flight was due to leave and I missed it.
“I started panicking because I had beauty work booked and my mum was expecting me home. She was on the phone saying, ‘What’s going on?’
“I then missed a second flight because I didn’t have an Esta (electronic US visa).
“The two guys started to threaten me. They were annoyed because they thought I was trying to avoid taking the suitcases.
“One of them dragged me off the bed by my hair and held a handgun to my head.
“He said, ‘I’ll f***ing shoot you.’ It was the most frightening thing I’ve ever experienced.
“I was screaming at them to let me go. I thought, I’m going to end up dead if I don’t carry this money.
“At first they were the nicest people but by now they had taken my phone and my passport off me.”
Kim finally caught her third flight — but when she landed at Chicago’s O’Hare airport on August 18 to catch a connection to London, officials made a random check as they were suspicious of her having two bags.
She said: “As I was passing through security they opened up one of the cases.
“The man said to me, ‘What are you trying to bring in?’
“I looked in the case and thought, that’s not money.
“It looked like papier mache and was covered in some type of oil. My next thought was, is that cheese?
“They started to tear the cases apart and handcuffed me and took me into a room.
“I knew by then I had been set up. I was in shock.
“It was such a bizarre feeling, like I was watching someone else in a film.
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“I couldn’t breathe and began having a panic attack. When the full realisation of what it all meant hit me, I cried and cried.
“I was pleading with them to let me call my mum and dad.
“I was hysterical and could hardly breathe. I was in a daze, thinking, is this really happening?
“I was given paperwork to say that I’d be deported the next day but then I was told I was being taken into custody by the police.
“I was so upset and confused I asked one officer, ‘Does America still have the death penalty?’
“He laughed and said I had watched too many films, but I had no idea what was going to happen to me.
“I finally called my mum and her screams were like nothing ever heard. It still haunts me to this day.
“Her reaction made me feel ten times worse. The police asked if I wanted a lawyer and I replied I was telling the truth so I don’t need one.
“I really thought by being honest they would let me go home.”
Instead, she was locked up in Cook County Jail where previous inmates have included Al Capone and serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
‘Desperately needs help’
She was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and intent to deliver it.
As the amount she was allegedly found with is more than 900 grams the offence is in the top bracket for sentencing — a Class X Felony which carries 15 to 60 years in jail.
She has pleaded not guilty and appears in Chicago’s criminal courthouse tomorrow when a judge is expected to fix a trial date.
Kim is on house arrest and is allowed out two days a week but has to wear two electronic tags.
I couldn’t breathe and began having a panic attack. When the full realisation of what it all meant hit me, I cried and cried
The Sun was there on one of those days out when she had an emotional reunion with dad John, 59 — the first family member she has seen since her arrest nearly three months ago.
After hugging his daughter, John hit out at the lack of support from the Government.
He said: “When a British national is in trouble abroad, your first move is to phone the British Embassy and you expect back-up.
“We phoned and I eventually got put through to a support team but they said they’re not allowed to get involved in criminal investigations.
“I said, ‘She desperately needs help.’ I explained all this to them and all they did was give me a list of charities to contact.
“Nobody helped. I’m disgusted with the British Government.”
John, who is paying for Kim’s attorney, added: “It’s heartbreaking to see her like this. It’s a situation that no dad would ever think he would find himself in.
“We’ll do everything we can to bring her home. She is innocent.”
While she has been held on remand, Kim, whose dreams of becoming a theatrical make-up artist now lie in tatters, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
And she said her psychiatrist reckons she was in the middle of a manic episode when she agreed to carry the suitcases.
She added: “Being diagnosed was a difficult pill to swallow but it was also a relief to know because I thought I’d gone crazy.
“I believe there’s been a mental illness there for a long while but it got really severe over the past three to four years.
“You definitely have impaired thinking because of it and don’t really see the consequences of something bad about to happen.
“There’s no way that I would knowingly transport drugs in any way, shape or form.”
In response to the family’s criticism, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting a British woman on bail in the US and are in touch with the local authorities.”
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