Mother of Peru "drugs mule" Melissa Reid, from Lenzie, wants guilty plea The mother of Peru "drugs mule" Melissa Reid has explained why she thinks her daughter should plead guilty to the offences she is accused of. Melissa, of Lenzie, East Dunbartonshire, and Michaella McCollum, of Dungannon in Northern Ireland, were caught with £1.5m of cocaine as they passed through Lima airport in Peru. Both claim they were forced to carry the drugs by an armed gang they met during a working holiday in Ibiza and that their families were threatened. But the prosecution has accused Melissa and Michaella of lying, and a court in Lima has now charged both with drug trafficking offences. They now face up to 15 years in jail - and on Monday Melissa's mother Debra joined This Morning to explain why she thinks her daughter should plead guilty. She said: "I do believe they were definitely coerced into it, they didn't do it willingly. They definitely did have the drugs in their suitcases, that part they're guilty of, but I do believe they were coerced," Melissa's mum explained. I do believe they were coerced into it and I do believe they threatened us as a family. That is very important to us as a family. Asked why husband William was quoted in the press saying he is "not 100% certain" of the girls" version of events, Debra continued: "It's not so much he's not 100% [certain], it's more the legal system over there is totally different to ours, it's over the other side of the world. If Melissa pleads guilty we'll get her home earlier. If the girls plead guilty they could face around two years in jail, opposed to up to 15 years if they plead innocent but are found guilty. It's the best years of your life from 20 to 35, as you know. You've got a few more years of enjoying yourself, and then maybe you meet somebody, settle down, have a family," Debra added. The pair will return to court on September 17, when they will enter their pleas. More About This Morning