Unrecognisable to his neighbours, the bowls-playing pensioner, once suspected of being an international drug smuggler, is pictured back in Britain a year trapped in a Chilean prison hell.
William Eastment was seen shuffling through his Somerset village, which he feared he would never see again, just days after the case against him was dropped. Anyone who did not know the 80-year-old, known to his pals as “Billy Boy”, would be forgiven for mistaking the frail pensioner for the international drugs courier he was accused of being.
His hollow cheeks, painfully thin frame and cautious steps bear little resemblance to the familiar bowls player who left Milborne Port last year. But Eastment was cleared after prosecutors accepted he had been duped by a sophisticated criminal gang.
The fraudsters tricked him into carrying a suitcase containing more than 5kg of methamphetamine. Eastment is now readjusting to ordinary life at his one-bedroom housing association bungalow. He is being supported by friends who feared his failing health meant he might never make it home.
The retired HGV and bus fitter has been seen cautiously venturing outside and taking short walks around his local area as he attempts to regain his strength. He was later spotted shopping in nearby Yeovil.
The trip marked another significant step in his recovery after months when every aspect of his life was controlled by prison guards and the Chilean courts. His dramatic weight loss has left him so changed that several people in the area are understood to have failed to recognise him.
A neighbour said: “Billy has lost an incredible amount of weight and looks terribly frail. A few people have walked past without recognising him because he looks so different from before he left. He is moving very slowly, but his friends are rallying around him and helping him settle back into life at home. He’s been a bl**** fool, but everyone is relieved to see him back.”
Eastment’s return last week brings an extraordinary ordeal full circle after he was arrested at Santiago Airport on May 18 last year. He had arrived on a flight from Cancun, Mexico, carrying a suitcase allegedly containing Class A drugs worth around £200,000.
Chilean officials initially suspected the pensioner was an international drug courier. The Welshman was locked inside Santiago 1 Penitentiary, one of South America’s toughest prisons. Eastment insisted from the beginning that he had no idea the drugs were concealed inside the case.
His nightmare began with an email claiming he was entitled to a $10.5million inheritance, worth around £7.85million. The message was part of an elaborate scam. Criminals used the name of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to convince him the fortune was genuine.
Eastment, who was living on his pension, was told a sponsor would pay for his flights and hotels in return for ten per cent of the supposed inheritance. The gang flew him around the world, including trips to Mexico and Japan. He was handed official-looking paperwork and told to sign documents.
By paying for hotels and allowing him time to go sightseeing, the criminals carefully built his trust. When the promised money failed to arrive, Eastment was told he needed to travel again to complete further paperwork. He was flown back to Mexico and given a suitcase, which he was instructed to take to New Zealand via Chile.
A woman allegedly told him it contained gifts for people associated with the IMF. Eastment could not open the case because it was secured with a combination lock. When customs officers stopped him at Santiago Airport, a border patrol worker eventually forced it open. Officers found oversized clothing inside. They then discovered the suspected drugs concealed beneath it.
For months, Eastment faced the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars. While he was being held, his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worsened in custody, and he suffered repeated bouts of pneumonia.
Investigators continued to examine the messages and evidence stored on Eastment’s phone and tablet.
A police report concluded there was a high probability he had been scammed into travelling. The evidence supported his account. Prosecutors dismissed the proceedings, allowing him to return to Britain without facing trial, with officials arranging an emergency passport and helping organise his journey home.
