4 days ago
Perth grandmother Donna Nelson to appear in Japanese court in drug smuggling appeal bid
A Japanese court is set to decide this week whether it will re-examine the case of an Australian woman convicted of smuggling almost two kilograms of methamphetamine into the country.
Perth grandmother Donna Nelson has always maintained her innocence, saying she was duped by an elaborate romance scam into carrying a bag with drugs concealed inside.
Ms Nelson, a former Greens candidate who chaired a city-wide Indigenous health service and ran a charity for disadvantaged youths, was sentenced to six years in jail in December by a Japanese court.
On Thursday the court will hear an application for an appeal that will include new evidence from an expert on romance scams.
"When you talk to the experts, they can talk about the victimology side of it, the psychology, and how they're groomed," Ms Nelson's daughter, Ashlee Charles, told the ABC.
During her trial, Ms Nelson gave evidence she was in an online long-distance relationship with a man known as Kelly for around two years before he offered to fly her to Japan.
The flight included a stop in Laos where she said an associate of Kelly's gave her a bag which he claimed was a sample for Kelly's supposed fashion business.
Japanese authorities found methamphetamine concealed in a false bottom.
Mrs Charles said she and her four sisters had always believed in her mother's innocence.
"I know that my mum is innocent because of the way she raised us," she said.
Her sister Kristal has this week travelled with her family and nephew, Donna's grandson, to Japan in this latest bid to secure her freedom.
Mrs Charles said navigating Japan's legal system from abroad had taken its toll on the Perth family.
"We didn't know how long it would take for the appeal to get to the first hearing," Mrs Charles said.
"It's really hard to navigate all of this, but also navigate day- to-day life without our mum.
"It's really hard if you get sick, or something happens in your life you can't wait to tell mum… you can't because obviously we don't have direct contact with her."
She said they could only exchange letters with their mum, unless they flew to Japan and applied to see her in person in prison.
"It would be nice if there was a phone system, even once a month, that we could talk to her," she said.
