SA woman escapes death sentence

JOHANNESBURG – A South African woman languishing in a Thai prison has not abandoned her bid for freedom and has lodged an appeal to the Thai Supreme Court after her sentence was reduced to 33.4 years.

George-born Ashley Oosthuizen initially received the death sentence, but that was later changed to life imprisonment.

The 22-year-old was convicted of selling and smuggling drugs from the coffee shop owned by her former boyfriend, Tristan Nettles, but her family maintains she’s innocent.

Nettles, a US citizen, admitted to the crime. Oosthuizen, a former learner at Outeniqua High School, left for Thailand in March 2018, shortly after she matriculated, and took up a job as a teacher on Koh Samui island.

It was there she met the 32-yearold American teacher, who was employed at another school on the island, and soon the pair were an item.

In an interview with Independent Newspapers from an undisclosed location, Nettles admitted to being a former international drug trafficker with a long criminal record stretching back to a charge of assault with a deadly weapon when he was only 11. He also admitted to smuggling and selling the drugs his former girlfriend is now in prison for.

Nettles was not in Thailand when Oosthuizen was arrested and has not returned to the country since. There is a warrant of arrest out on him. When asked why he didn’t turn himself in, Nettles said he wouldn’t be able to do anything for Oosthuizen if he too was in prison. He also claimed that he fought in the war in Ukraine for Ashley.

“I was in a corner. I decided to bring in packages to the coffee shop. Ashley was the manager and had no idea I was dealing drugs. I sold party drugs; marijuana, Ketamine, MDMA and LSD,” said Nettles.