Ming Ting Tancel free to leave; plans to appeal

Ming Ting Mancel, who was sentenced to twelve years in prison yesterday, plans to appeal the judgment to the Court of Appeal. Mancel left the courtroom after the judgment was delivered and is neither in custody nor subject to a travel ban. She was charged with homicide committed jointly with her husband and with domestic abuse. The reasoning behind the judgment will not be available until it has been published. Mancel's defence lawyer, Ómar Örn Bjarnþórsson, says the sentence was more severe than he had expected. Mancel immediately decided to appeal. He says Mancel left the courthouse after the judgment was delivered. For the time being, she is neither in custody nor subject to a travel ban. It would not surprise me at all if an application were made for her to be remanded in custody during the appeal period, but that is a decision for the prosecutor.