[imagesource: Facebook]

Anybody who has ever watched an episode of Banged Up Abroad knows that a Thai prison is not the sort of place you want to spend much time.

South African Ashley Oosthuizen is currently looking at life behind bars after her death sentence was commuted in August last year.

The 22-year-old, originally from George, moved to Thailand after matriculating in 2018.

A series of events led to her being convicted of international drug trafficking, but her family and friends maintain that she is innocent.

According to reports, Ashley met a then 32-year-old American teacher, Tristan Nettles, and started dating him while working as a kindergarten teacher on the island of Koh Samui.

She lost her job as a teacher and was desperate to find work that would get her a work permit, without which she would have to return back to South Africa.

Below via IOL, which incorrectly identifies Nettles as Nepps:

[Nettles] offered her a managerial position at a restaurant called Hot in the Biscuit where she also designed the branding for the business.

Oosthuizen was reportedly arrested on October 8, 2020, after she accepted a package from a delivery man on behalf of someone else. Unbeknown to her, the package contained 250g of MDMA (Ecstasy).

According to her father, André Oosthuizen, she was arrested within five minutes of the package being delivered. “They also searched her apartment, took her laptop but found no drugs or record of any drug sales. My daughter was raised properly. I know she’s innocent,” he said.

Nettles had allegedly been hiding MDMA in biscuits and selling those to his customers without Ashley’s knowledge.

If you really want to dig deeper into the story of Ashley, Nettles, and the events leading up to the arrest, FreeAshley.org lays things out in great detail.

A few snippets from there:

Tristan is an admitted drug dealer and has been caught selling drugs repeatedly since he was 12 years old.

He was expelled from five middle schools as well as seven high schools for drug dealing and assault. He has been to court and in jail on numerous occasions for both offenses, including 56 days in the brig while serving on active duty in the Marine Corps infantry at Quantico, VA in 2009.

Tristan [with Ashley above] led a secret life. Nobody on the outside knew what he was doing. He never missed work or got into any trouble and his teaching was highly praised. His students had the highest IGCSE test scores in the school’s history after his second year there.

He has since left Thailand and has allegedly confessed to his crimes from the safety of the United States.

On Facebook, Nettles reportedly wrote “I made more than most of my money from selling party drugs to the expats,” adding that “Ashley’s only crime was being my girlfriend.”

He was asked by a local reporter why he hasn’t returned to Thailand to free Ashley when he knows she’s innocent. He responded:

“Because accepting a life sentence for importing harmless MDMA for consenting adults after governments just forcibly vaccinated millions (sic) against their will with experimental cocktails, would be bowing to tyrants. I do not bow to tyrants, I kill them.”

Ah, he’s one of those.

The FreeAshley.org website is highly critical of the South African Embassy, saying nobody has “visited, written to, or even spoken to Ashley Oosthuizen once since this entire nightmare began”.

Since her case has been widely covered in the media, it appears there has been a change of heart:

 Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele said the department was aware of Ashley’s arrest and court appearances in Thailand.

He said the department and the South African Embassy in Bangkok were providing her and her family with consular assistance.

Ashley’s mother, Lynette Blignaut, said she had spoken to her daughter as recently as February 18 and she “appears to be in high spirits”.

Her family have appealed the verdict, which they say “will be decided in only three or four months time, maybe less, unless we can get an extension filed”.

Another spokesperson on behalf of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Clayson Monyela, said that our government “is not in a position to intervene in any legal aspects, court hearings and judicial processes in a foreign country”.

FreeAshley.org’s plea ends with the words ‘Donate to Ashley’s legal fund soon, it is being set up and run by her mother, Lynette Blignaut.’

The family says that any funds raised will be used to cover legal and repatriation costs in the fight to bring Ashley home.

[sources:iol&freeashley]