A member of the Bali Nine drug syndicate faces a heartbreaking farewell when their transfer to Australia is finally confirmed by Indonesian authorities in the coming weeks.
Matthew Norman, 38, has built an unconventional life for himself during his 19 years behind bars in Bali’s feared Kerobokan prison, with his wife of eight years, Anita, by his side.
However, once Norman is back on Australian soil, he will be banned from ever returning to Indonesia, putting their 12-year relationship in jeopardy.
Norman and Anita had been dating for four years before the happy couple tied the knot on the prison grounds on February 5, 2016, surrounded by friends and family.
The day also marked Norman becoming stepfather to Anita’s young daughter Stella, now 15, who was their maid of honor.
The family have since made the most of relaxed visitor rules that allow them to spend up to three hours a day together and have turned the prison into a bizarre home from home for them.
Loving family photos show the smiling husband and wife celebrating special occasions, including Stella’s recent graduation in June and Norman’s birthday in September.
Norman’s devoted father Michael has also moved to Bali to be next to his son, after taking up life in Sydney due to concerns over his son’s welfare in prison.
Matthew Norman, 38, has built an unconventional life for himself during his 19 years behind bars in Bali’s feared Kerobokan prison, with his wife of eight years, Anita, by his side.
Matthew Norman will never be allowed to return to Indonesia if he is transferred to Australia
Anita’s daughter Stella was a toddler when Norman started dating her mother and is now a doting father to the teen
However, Norman’s mother, Robyn, died earlier this year before she could ever see her son released from prison.
Norman also runs a screen printing and graphic design program called Redemption from his prison.
The program teaches prisoners skills and “helps them make better choices to break the cycle of recidivism.”
Norman was just 18 years old when he was arrested and the youngest member of the gang when police arrived.
The emotional distress he suffered in prison shortly after his arrest was a concern for psychiatrists who spoke to him days after his incarceration.
After two weeks, he was the only one of his cellmates, including Tan Duk Thanh Nguyen, Si Yi Chen, Scott Rush, Renae Lawrence and Michael Czugaj, who had still not had a visit from his family.
Norman’s parents were conspicuously absent while the other parents arrived with food and care packages for their children while they were held ahead of a trial.
Reports at the time indicated that his family had gone into hiding after receiving ominous threats from the drug lords behind the smuggling operation.
It remains unclear how the prisoners will be returned to Australia and whether they will have to serve the remainder of their time behind bars on home soil.
Matthew Norman is seen behind bars in Bali’s infamous Kerobokan prison in 2007
Pictured from top left: Myuran Sukumaran, Scott Rush, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Renae Lawrence. Below: Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj, Martin Stephen and Andrew Chan
Home Secretary Tony Burke heads to Jakarta this week to negotiate the final details, raising hopes they could be returned within weeks, if not days.
The reprieve will come too late for leaders Chan and Sukumaran, who were executed by firing squad in April 2015.
Nguyen died of cancer in 2018, while Lawrence was released that year when her life sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal.
Yi Chen is serving his sentence together with Norman in Kerobokan. Martin Stephens, Rush and Czugaj are in prisons in Bali and Java.