On 21 August 2005, Leslie was travelling in a vehicle to an open-air dance party at
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park on the Indonesian island of
Bali. Police stopped the vehicle and reported discovering two pills in Leslie's handbag. Forensic tests subsequently found the pills to be the drug
ecstasy. Urine tests conducted at the time of her arrest showed no evidence of the use of the drug; a later blood test found traces of
amphetamines. According to Indonesian police, Leslie stated the pills were given to her by a friend, "Mia". Mia was later revealed to be Nameera Azmaan, who was also a model based in Singapore and working for Chic Management, the same agency Leslie worked for. Leslie denied making the allegation, and Azmaan also denied any involvement. Leslie denied other statements attributed to her by police reports, including that she had been taking ecstasy for a year and could not enjoy parties without it. Police reports also stated she declared her religion as Christianity upon her arrest. According to Balinese newspapers, Leslie was arrested while in the company of a son of the then Coordinating Minister for the Economy
Aburizal Bakrie and two unidentified men, one said to be the son of a man with "strong influence in the law and justice system". Police gave "vague and contradicting" reports regarding who Leslie was with when she was arrested, with media alleging this was an attempt to protect their identities. Leslie was one of five people arrested by police during their raid that night; The incident marked the third arrest of Australians in Bali on drugs charges in twelve months following the
Schapelle Corby and
Bali Nine cases, and resulted in considerable media attention. In October 2005, it was reported that Leslie's lawyers had provided a report from a Sydney doctor stating that Leslie was addicted to
prescription medication. Under Indonesian law this would allow her to be tried as a "user"; the maximum sentence for a user is three months' imprisonment, whereas the maximum penalty for possession is 15 years. Leslie was tried in the Denpasar District Court, and was found guilty of using a prohibited substance on 18 November. She was ordered to pay court costs and sentenced to three months in jail but, due to the three months already spent in custody, was freed from
Kerobokan Prison on 19 November. She was
deported from the country due to her conviction. Leslie flew out of Bali to Singapore, where she spent time with friends and family before returning to Sydney.
Return to Australia Professor
Catharine Lumby, then head of media studies at the
University of Sydney, said many Australians would have sympathy for Leslie, and predicted she would be highly sought out by companies for modelling after returning to Australia, as she would be perceived as a "cult figure". Leslie chose to wear a
burqa on one occasion when she appeared in court, and opted to wear Islamic dress, such as a
hijab, until she was released. Her conversion and choice of dress sparked debate among Australian Muslims, some of whom accused her of using Islam as a stunt to gain the court's favour. Her lawyer offered an apology to any Muslims who were offended, saying that Leslie had worn the clothes to avoid unwanted attention from the prison guards and journalists. The
Australian Federation of Islamic Councils initially stated they had no problem with Leslie being a Muslim; In the
60 Minutes interview, Leslie stated she wore Islamic clothing because she was afraid of being sexually assaulted by male prison guards, and to protect herself when she faced the media. When asked if she had even been a Muslim, she replied "Yeah, but I don't really know what makes you or not makes you a Muslim. I'm not a practising Muslim, no." Following the
60 Minutes interview, Leslie's former friend Norah Cullen told journalists Leslie fabricated the story about being a Muslim, and only wore the burqa to conceal her face from the media. Cullen, a Muslim herself, had previously told journalists Leslie's conversion to Islam was genuine. ==Later career==