Laura Plummer: British woman freed from Egypt jail flies home but 'is denied chance to say goodbye to husband'

Laura Plummer has been released from jail in Egypt

A British woman freed after being jailed in Egypt for carrying illegal painkillers was reportedly denied a chance to say goodbye to her husband before travelling home.

Laura Plummer, 34, from Hull, was released after a 14-month ordeal in a Cairo prison for taking 290 Tramadol tablets into the country for her partner.

She was sentenced to three years in jail on Boxing Day 2017 but has since been given early release and was last night travelling back to Britain.

As she headed home, Ms Plummer said she was marched into the airport by police and was not allowed to say goodbye to her Egyptian husband Omar Saad, 34.

Released: Laura Plummer
PA

But she hinted that she could return to the country to see her partner, for whom she had brought the tablets, The Sun reported.

Speaking to the newspaper, Ms Plummer said: “I love him and he loves me and our love has survived the most traumatic of ordeals. For that reason I can’t say I won’t ever go back.”

Her local MP, Karl Turner, yesterday confirmed the news of her release and said he was “absolutely delighted”.

He told the Standard: “It is not a pardon — she was released along with 6,925 prisoners on January 25 to mark the anniversary of Egypt’s revolution.

“It has been a shocking ordeal for her and the family. I am sure they are elated [at her release].”

The Labour MP also praised the Foreign Office and minister Alistair Burt, who he said had been “superb”.

Ms Plummer was arrested at the airport on October 9, 2017 when she flew into the Red Sea resort of Hurghada.

She claimed she was taking the tablets, which are legal in the UK but banned in Egypt, for her Egyptian boyfriend Omar Abd El Azim Mohamed Saad, 33, who suffers from back pain.

The Plummer family has previously said Laura had no idea that what she doing was illegal and was just “daft”.

They said she did not try to hide the medicine and she thought it was a joke when she was pulled over by officials.

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