Japanese court upholds six-year sentence for Australian woman in drug-smuggling case
Tokyo High Court rejects appeal by Donna Nelson, who says she was tricked by a man she hoped to marry
A Tokyo High Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal by Australian Donna Nelson, upholding a six-year prison sentence for drug smuggling after finding her guilty of violating stimulants-control and customs laws.
Nelson, 59, from Perth, was arrested at Narita International Airport near Tokyo on Jan. 3, 2023, after customs officials found about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of amphetamines hidden under a false bottom in a suitcase she was carrying as checked luggage. The Chiba District Court in December sentenced her to six years in prison and a fine of 1 million yen ($6,725). Nelson has told the court she was unaware of the drugs and that she was carrying them for a man she hoped to marry.
Prosecutors said the man Nelson knew as Kelly, whom she met online in 2020 and described as the Nigerian owner of a fashion business, paid her to travel to Japan via Laos and asked her to collect dress samples from an acquaintance in Laos. He was supposed to meet her in Japan, but he never showed up.
On Thursday, presiding Judge Takeshi Irie dismissed Nelson's defense lawyers' request for acquittal and argued that she was not a passive victim but fully capable and had time to realize that something about the arrangement was wrong. The judge also rejected the argument that she was merely the target of a romance scam with no awareness or intent to traffic drugs. Nelson was told she had 14 days to decide whether to appeal to the Supreme Court.
One of Nelson's daughters, Kristal Hilaire, said her mother has not yet decided whether to appeal. Listening to the verdict, Hilaire said she felt the decision was wrong and that the family would continue to seek resolution, describing the process as exhausting and draining. "I had been so hopeful that this was going to be the end. It’s very tiring to keep fighting this fight," she added, reflecting the emotional toll on the family as they await any further legal options.