nightmare An Oxford don's daughter - jailed for ten years for drug dealing in India - has told of her nightmare ordeal behind bars.

Alexia Stewart, 28, and Gary Carter, 30, are in a 400-year-old Aguada jail in Goa on the south-west coast of India.

She is the daughter of Philip Stewart, director of studies for human sciences at St Anne's College.

Mr Stewart, of Berkeley Road, Boars Hill, is convinced his daughter was framed last year.

He said the authorities promised to free Alexia and her boyfriend if they signed a confession for possessing cannabis.

Alexia said yesterday: "This is like a terrible dream. I can't see light at the end of the tunnel. I can't believe this is happening to me. How can I spend ten years here for something I didn't do?

"There is only a small courtyard to exercise in and I spend the rest of my time sewing and cleaning rice. I find it difficult to breathe and the darkness and humidity make it unbearable."

Alexia, who speaks five languages, said she had read all the books in the prison library and is kept in her cell for 22 hours a day. "Sometimes I break down when I think of my family and friends at home," she added. "Thinking of simple things like going to Tesco again keeps me going."

She is now looking forward to April for an appeal.

Alexia told how a police officer claimed to have discovered a 165g packet of cannabis at her rented home and demanded £200 for the case to be forgotten.

She added: "We refused because we had nothing to hide. We didn't think they could do this to two innocent people. Now I wish we had paid them."

Her father Philip, who is raising money for the appeal against the convictions, said: "The case is an absolute disgrace. My daughter has never been involved in drugs - she doesn't even smoke."

Goa's head of police Rajan Brar confirmed he had called for the case against the Britons to be withdrawn but refuted claims that police had planted drugs.

Story date: Monday 01 February

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