news

Colombian hotel manager describes Cassandra Sainsbury's "strange" behaviour.

Images of the tiny hotel room where 22-year-old Australian woman Cassie Sainsbury spent her final nights before she was arrested and charged with drug trafficking have been released.

Video obtained by 9 News shows the “small but quaint” room at a $40 per night hotel in Bogota, Colombia.

The hotel's manager, Ingrid Hernandez, told 9 News that unlike other guests, Cassie chose to stay in her room for most of her stay.

"I thought it was strange that she didn't go out like most visitors do," she said.

LISTEN: Why are we so obsessed with Cassie Sainsbury's story?

"She stayed with us from the 3rd to the 12th of April, oddly she told me she might not spend all of those nights in the hotel, and then she did."

The Daily Telegraph reports Cassie arrived at the hotel, situated in an area of Bogota popular with students, without a reservation and paid for her accommodation two days at a time .

"When she arrived I was in my office but the front desk asked for my help because Cassie did not speak any Spanish and our receptionist did not speak English," Ms Hernandez told The Daily Telegraph.

"It is unusual for tourists to arrive without a booking, particularly if they are a young woman alone like she was."

The manager has also described Cassie's sole visitor during her stay at the hotel - a "well-dressed Colombian man".

"Normal height, normal build. He could have been in his late 20s, 30s. He had short brown gelled hair," she said.

It's believed the man is the mysterious 'Angelo' or 'Tom', who Cassie says tricked her into packing 5.8kg of cocaine hidden in headphones into her luggage.

Cassie's lawyer has said there was a "grave problem" with her story. While he believed her, he said there was still no proof she was really duped, and the man she referred to was yet to be identified.

Yesterday, fresh claims surfaced that the 22-year-old personal trainer was "running from tens of thousands of dollars" in debt.

7 News reported that, according to residents in her hometown of Adelaide, her fitness business failed within six months of opening and Cassie left town, leaving her ex-boyfriend and her landlord out of pocket.

Related Stories

Recommended

Top Comments

Sofia R.B. 8 years ago

Story seems to be getting murkier and murkier with every story posted.