'Drugs charge' Briton back home

Miss Telfer was greeted at the airport by her brother and sister

A British woman who spent more than three months in a Caribbean jail was "ecstatic and overjoyed" to be back in her home country on Tuesday.

Marianne Telfer, of Colchester, Essex, was held in the Dominican Republic on drugs charges after her boyfriend died trying to smuggle cocaine.

Richard Flack collapsed at the end of their two week holiday when cocaine filled condoms burst open inside him.

Miss Telfer, 28, was cleared last week and released on Friday.

She arrived back in the UK at Gatwick Airport with her father Roger, 59, and mother Sheila, 58.

After being reunited with her brother Richard, 34, and sister Catherine, 31, she said: "I am ecstatic and overjoyed to be back.

For four months it has been really difficult to think about grief and now that I am back there will be a lot of that happening Marianne Telfer

"I want to thank everyone who has helped me: my mum, who has been there (the Dominican Republic) for months, my sister and dad, who have been there a couple of times, and all my friends for their support."

Miss Telfer, a social care manager, was arrested in February on drugs trafficking charges.

She always maintained her innocence, insisting she did not know Mr Flack had swallowed the drugs in an attempt to smuggle them back to Britain.

Her parents, their local MP and the campaign group Fair Trials Abroad campaigned for her freedom.

Court hearings were arranged to discuss her release, but on a number of occasions they were delayed.

Miss Telfer said at these times she doubted she would ever get out.

Family time

She added: "The reason why I stayed there for four months was because of the Dominican Republic's justice system.

"But at one point they apologised about how it was dealt with and how it shouldn't have gone so far."

She also revealed she would meet members of Mr Flack's family and find an opportunity to grieve about his death.

"For four months it has been really difficult to think about grief and now that I am back there will be a lot of that happening," she said.

Her father said: "It is important not to forget that underneath it all she has lost Richard, which is also a great tragedy for him and his family."