Emotional scenes as Aussie grandmother accused of smuggling 2kg of meth in Japan is dealt a devastating blow
An Australian grandmother remains behind bars after being found guilty of trying to smuggle 2kg of meth into Japan.
Donna Nelson, 58, was convicted on Wednesday by a panel of three judges and six members of the public in Chiba, east of Tokyo.
The Perth grandmother has already spent 430 days behind bars since she was arrested by customs officers at Narita Airport in January 2023 after meth was found hidden in her false-bottom suitcase.
Nelson was spotted hanging her head and sobbing as she received a six-year prison sentence and a $10,400 fine.
The former Greens candidate has always maintained her innocence, claiming she was the victim of an online romance scam involving an alleged owner of a Nigerian fashion brand, who paid for her flights to Laos to pick up the suitcase and then travel to Tokyo.
But he failed to show up at their chosen meeting place and Nelson was arrested on the spot.
She was later accused of violating Japan’s strict controls on stimulants and customs laws.
Prosecutors acknowledged the scam but lobbied for the court to impose a 10-year prison sentence and a $31,000 fine, arguing that Nelson should have known better than to carry the suitcase.
Perth grandmother Donna Nelson (pictured) has been sentenced to six years in prison in Japan after being found guilty of smuggling meth into the country
The judges similarly accepted and sympathized with Nelson for committing the act as part of the scam, noting that the sentence was lighter than others for the same crime.
A member of Nelson’s legal team said he was disappointed by the “unreasonable” decision and vowed to continue fighting the charges.
“We need to talk to Donna, but we will fight to the end, until she is released,” attorney Rie Nishida told reporters outside the court.
“She is devastated, but she is a strong woman, so we will discuss and prepare for the next fight.”
Nelson’s daughter Kristal Hilaire said six years in a Japanese prison, away from home and family, was in no way a “lenient” punishment.
The 58-year-old claims she was the victim of a love fraud with an alleged owner of a Nigerian fashion brand who tricked her into unknowingly taking the suitcase to Japan (pictured, Nelson)
Several other family members who attended previous court hearings and saw Nelson for the first time since her arrest nearly two years ago have since returned home.
Nelson’s family has one GoFundMe to help “in our struggle to free our mother and bring her home where she belongs.”
“Our mother knew nothing about this and we claim she is the victim of a crime and not a criminal,” the fundraising page reads.
‘We cannot say more about this case at this time as we consider whether to appeal, but we are devastated by this verdict and will not stop fighting for our mother.’
Daughters Kristal Hilaire (pictured center) told media outside court that the family is preparing to appeal the verdict and bring their mother back home to Perth
They are asking for $20,000 to help pay for travel to and from Japan to stay in touch with Nelson and “keep her spirits up as we fight to free her.”
“Family is everything to Mom, and she has been separated from us for too long,” the GoFundMe reads.
Nelson was previously the Green Party candidate for the Western Australian seat of Pearce in the 2022 federal election.
She was later appointed chair of a Western Australian Aboriginal health service and was seen as an important Indigenous leader for her local community.