Logo

A British woman who spent 14 months in an Egyptian jail for taking painkillers into the country is heading home Monday after securing a presidential pardon, reports said.

Laura Plummer, 34, was sentenced in 2017 to three years in prison after customs officers found almost 300 Tramadol pills in her luggage — which she maintained were for the severe back pain of her Egyptian partner, Omar.

“My two-week holiday in the sun turned into a nightmare,” Plummer told The Sun. “I’m so happy … I mean, who goes on holiday for two weeks and then stays 14 months? I’ll never set foot in an airport again.”

Tramadol, a strong painkiller, is tightly controlled in Egypt, where it is often abused recreationally. It’s available with a prescription in Britain.

Plummer said she had no idea that Egypt had restrictions on the drug.

“I tried to explain myself but nothing I said or did made any difference,” Plummer said. “It was just ridiculous. I wanted to help Omar and do a kind thing and I ended up in prison.”

Her legal team submitted to the court her clean criminal record, a character reference and a medical report for her partner showing he had back problems. They also submitted documents showing that Tramadol didn’t appear on Egypt’s travel advice on banned drugs.

But it made no difference.

Then on Sunday, Plummer was among over 6,000 prisoners granted a pardon by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a source at the Egyptian prison authority told Agence France-Presse. She’s expected to return home to Hull on Monday.

Through it all, Plummer and her partner have remained together, her family said.

“It’s bittersweet for Laura. She loves Omar and will get to spend only a few moments with him before she’s put on a plane,” said Plummer’s sister Jayne Synclair.

“They love each other and their love has survived this awful ordeal.”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy