McCollum was released from prison in Peru on Friday.
An exclusive interview with Michaella McCollum will air on RTE One tonight, her first interview since her release from prison in Peru on Friday.
McCollum spent two and half years in prison after being arrested alongside Scottish national Melissa Reid at Lima airport for possession of almost €2 million worth of smuggled cocaine (11 kg), which was hidden in their luggage.
McCollum had been due to serve a sentence of six years and eight months but her solicitors secured her release on Friday and tonight, RTE One will air an exclusive interview with the 23-year old Tyrone native as part of a documentary titled ‘Prison in Peru’.
For the first time, McCollum will explain what happened from her perspective, charting her decision to become a drug mule, her arrest, her imprisonment and recent release.
Snippets from the interview can be seen below.
On her release from prison
“I’ve forgotten the things that everybody takes for granted in life.”
“Seeing the sun, seeing the darkness, seeing the moon and the stars, things I haven’t seen in almost three years.”
On the consequences of her actions
“If the drugs had of got back [to Europe] what could have happened, I probably would have had a lot of blood on my hands.”
“I potentially could have filled Europe full of a lot of drugs”
“I could have potentially killed a lot of people, not directly but I could have caused a lot of harm to people.”
On deciding to smuggle drugs
“I made a decision in a moment of madness… I’m not a bad person… I want to demonstrate that I’m a good person.”
Prison to Peru will be broadcast on RTE One at 9.30pm tonight.
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