Australian beauty therapist Schapelle Corby (right) with her translator in a Bali court. (Reuters)

Bali (Indonesia), May 27 (Reuters): An Indonesian court sentenced a young Australian beauty therapist to 20 years in jail today for smuggling marijuana into the holiday island of Bali in a verdict that could put a strain on ties.

Lawyers for Schapelle Corby, 27, said they would appeal the ruling, which triggered outrage from her family. Australian callers to radio stations in the country urged an end to aid to the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

“The panel of judges declares the defendant legally and convincingly guilty of the crime of illegal importation of narcotics,” chief judge Linton Sirait told a hearing that was watched live in Australia.

As soon as Sirait read the verdict, Corby’s mother, Rosleigh Rose, shouted at the three judges on the panel: “Liar, liar. Honey, we are going to take you home.”

Wearing pink trousers and a black blouse, an emotional Corby turned to her mother and pleaded with her to calm down. “Mum, stop, it’s okay,” she cried.

Standing for the verdict, Corby kept mouthing the word “20” in Indonesian, clearly stunned by the sentence.

Prosecutors had demanded life in jail for Corby, who has argued the 4.1 kg of drugs found by Bali airport officials in her unlocked bag last year were planted. The trial has gripped Australia, which has enjoyed a period of warm relations with Indonesia after years of rockiness. Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer said he did not believe the case would damage ties.

But public opinion in Australia is behind Corby, with newspaper polls showing 90 per cent of Australians believe she was innocent. Her plight has triggered death threats against Indonesian diplomats in Australia.

Corby’s lawyers have insisted many people could have put the drugs into her bag along the way from Brisbane, near where she lives, to Bali, especially because it was not locked.

She changed planes in Sydney and her defence team has said she was the victim of a drug ring running narcotics from Brisbane to Sydney. For some reason, the drugs were not removed from her bag in Sydney, the defence has said.

Corby’s friends pleaded with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to intervene, saying Australians had helped the country in times of need, especially after the Boxing Day tsunami smashed into Aceh province.

Prime Minister John Howard said Australians had to respect the laws of Indonesia.