British man dies after swallowing cocaine in St Lucia

Thursday, November 13, 2003

CASTRIES, St Lucia: A British man has died and another man is seriously ill after cocaine packets they had apparently swallowed burst open in their stomachs, police said in St Lucia Wednesday.

Jason Rustidge, 31, collapsed on a Virgin Atlantic flight while awaiting takeoff from St Lucia's International Airport. He was taken to a Castries hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to St Lucia police, Dean Nassis, 31, also a Briton, told authorities that both men had swallowed a number of cocaine packets and were on their way back to Britain.

Nassis underwent emergency surgery and doctors removed 105 packets containing 10.5 ounces of cocaine from his stomach, police said. 

Lindy Ann Fedee, a 25-year-old hairdresser, of Castries, pleaded guilty Wednesday at the city's magistrates' court to cocaine possession. She was arrested on the same Virgin Atlantic flight.

Police said Fedee had 2.2 pounds of cocaine strapped to her body.

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