Send news tip to FOXNews.com

SUBMIT

Brother of TV Chef Gordon Ramsay Jailed in Indonesia for Heroin Bust

Thursday, September 13, 2007

BALI, Indonesia —  An Indonesian court sentenced the younger brother of British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay to 10 months in prison Thursday for heroin possession on Bali island, a judge said.

Ronald Ramsay, 39, was also given a $530 fine, said presiding Judge I Wayan Mertha of the Denpasar District Court.

The defendant, who was arrested in February with 100 milligrams (0.004 ounce) of heroin in his pocket during a search outside a supermarket, sat quietly as the ruling was read out. He said he has not yet decided if he will file an appeal.

Under Indonesia's tough drug laws, Ramsay could have faced up to 10 years in jail, but the panel of three judges decided to be lenient after he pleaded guilty and expressed remorse, Mertha said.

The defendant's lawyer, Erwin Siregar, told reporters the sentence was too harsh because the heroin was intended for personal use, not for distribution. His client has for years struggled with drug addiction.

Ramsay's brother, Gordon, rose to international prominence as Britain's top chef after starring in the television cooking shows "Hell's Kitchen" and "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares," and publishing a series of best-selling cookbooks.

Fox News Video
ADVERTISEMENT

FNC iMag


ADVERTISEMENT

Advertise on Fox News Channel, FOXNews.com and FOX News Radio. Advertising Specifications (PDF). Jobs at FOX News Channel. Internships At Fox News (Deadline for summer applications: Feb. 29, 2008)

Terms of use. Privacy Statement. For FOXNews.com comments write to foxnewsonline@foxnews.com; For FOX News Channel comments write to yourcomments@foxnews.com

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © 2008 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes.