South African woman gets life sentence reduced in Thailand

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SABCNews

 

A woman from George in the Western Cape who was sentenced to life imprisonment on drug charges in Thailand, has had her sentence reduced to just over 33 years.

 

The appeal court in Koh Samui heard the matter of 23-year-old Ashley Oosthuizen.

 

She was convicted on the drug charges last year.

 

Oosthuizen was teaching English in the country before working at a restaurant that her boyfriend, an alleged drug trafficker, owned.

 

Oosthuizen was arrested in a police sting after signing for a package of drugs for her boyfriend, who has managed to evade police.

 

Full story: https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/sa-woman-gets-life-sentence-reduced-in-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright SABC 2022-08-20

 

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[Chelseafan]

What a waste of her life. Still better hers than those she was going to ruin 

[BB1955]

I ve read her story and her claims . I find it very hard to believe she knew nothing about what she was signing for . Your boyfriends a major drug supplier and you know nothing about it ?   

[SunnyinBangrak]

8 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

What a waste of her life. Still better hers than those she was going to ruin 

Before rushing to judgement, there is lots more to this sorry tale. Believing the authorities here in regards to court cases/justice issues generally results in misunderstanding.

 

More info here

 

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-freeashley-ashley-oosthuizen-george-22-thailand-life-imprisonment-18-february-2022/

[law ling]

Yes, it was an uncomfortable case: "just signing for a delivery" ending in life, or 33 years (or worse).

 

Take away: don't sign for other peoples' deliveries.

[SunnyinBangrak]

3 minutes ago, BB1955 said:

I ve read her story and her claims . I find it very hard to believe she knew nothing about what she was signing for . Your boyfriends a major drug supplier and you know nothing about it ?   

Agree with this. It would seem she was no angel. But, it is possible she was accused and sentenced for an exaggerated version of events. Sadly, there are many young impressionable foreign pretties on the island that tend to make a beeline for powder boys. Bad judgement in men doesn't deserve a life sentence.

[jacko45k]

Just now, law ling said:

Yes, it was an uncomfortable case: "just signing for a delivery" ending in life, or 33 years (or worse).

 

Take away: don't sign for other peoples' deliveries.

Hard to say really..... would you not accept a package for a neighbour if they appeared to be out..... I would, presuming there was nothing to pay that is. 

[law ling]

10 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Hard to say really..... would you not accept a package for a neighbour if they appeared to be out..... I would, presuming there was nothing to pay that is. 

Well, I wouldn't sign for it.

 

Knowing this girl's story, and there being even a scintilla of risk of a heafty jail term, I'd step back - and claim I had an urgent errand to attend to.

 

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, law ling said:

Well, I wouldn't sign for it.

 

Knowing this girl's story, and there being even a scintilla of risk of a heafty jail term, I'd step back - and claim I had an urgent errand to attend to.

 

I seem to sign less and less these days, they take a photo. One would still be likable for possession. 

[law ling]

Perhaps having gone from "life" to a set term, she'll now be able to get the usual reductions, pardons, etc. and give her some light at the end of the tunnel.

[BKKBike09]

1 hour ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Before rushing to judgement, there is lots more to this sorry tale. Believing the authorities here in regards to court cases/justice issues generally results in misunderstanding.

 

More info here

 

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-freeashley-ashley-oosthuizen-george-22-thailand-life-imprisonment-18-february-2022/

Indeed. It's a sorry tale. From the rambling Walter Mitty statement of 'facts' allegedly penned by the boyfriend:

 

"It was intoxicating being around someone so inexperienced and green behind the gills ... Ashley had no street experience. Hardly any life experience either. She’d never attended university ..."

 

Anyone who's a parent of a typical 'normal' 19-year old should empathise with this poor girl's situation. 

 

The boyfriend's statement has been redacted in places. However, whoever did the redacting didn't do a very good job and the underlying text is still there. It makes for very interesting reading. For legal reasons I shall neither provide a link to the statement, nor make any reference to its content other than the excerpt above. 

 

 

 

[Iamfalang]

I remember reading this story.  Her business, income, etc........ nothing really made sense.  

 

My gut feeling said something was fishy, and it appears we'll never get to the bottom of it.  

 

Her nationality, looks, etc..... don't play a role.   I think she was doing something shady in Thailand, got caught, now "bad luck" it's a harsh sentence.   next.  

Edited August 20, 2022 by Iamfalang

[Iamfalang]

OMG, I started reading the boyfriend's story!!!

 

He says he's this international drug dealer from like the age of 2.

 

How can she not know this!!  He's bragging about it, but never told her???  

 

Now I'm 100% percent she knew everything.  He's way too obvious, and not very clever. 

[lujanit]

If she was Thai there would have been no charges.  She would have paid off the cops just like many others do.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, lujanit said:

If she was Thai there would have been no charges.  She would have paid off the cops just like many others do.

That's silly.  Corrupt cops don't care about the color of your skin, just the color of your bank notes & how many.

Edited August 20, 2022 by KhunLA

[daveAustin]

3 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

What a waste of her life. Still better hers than those she was going to ruin 

How much do you know about this story? Find it odd that folk here are quick to admonish while overlooking the obvious corruption that goes on behind the scenes. 

[Sparktrader]

1 hour ago, Iamfalang said:

OMG, I started reading the boyfriend's story!!!

 

He says he's this international drug dealer from like the age of 2.

 

How can she not know this!!  He's bragging about it, but never told her???  

 

Now I'm 100% percent she knew everything.  He's way too obvious, and not very clever. 

2yo?

 

At least make claims that sound real

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Before rushing to judgement, there is lots more to this sorry tale. Believing the authorities here in regards to court cases/justice issues generally results in misunderstanding.

 

More info here

 

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/breaking-freeashley-ashley-oosthuizen-george-22-thailand-life-imprisonment-18-february-2022/

And believing the cowardly, criminal, drug dealer here in regards to her "innocence" generally results in misunderstandings also!

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Hard to say really..... would you not accept a package for a neighbour if they appeared to be out..... I would, presuming there was nothing to pay that is. 

Would you sign for and accept your neighbours' package if you knew that they were drug dealers?

[Chelseafan]

38 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

How much do you know about this story? Find it odd that folk here are quick to admonish while overlooking the obvious corruption that goes on behind the scenes. 

She was found guilty. Doubt there was much obvious corruption in this case. She played with fire and got caught. If the facts and story change in her favour then so will my view

[Orinoco]

Legalize all  drugs.

Put the bad guys out of business.

You get control

You get to tax it all..

Win, Win, Win.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Orinoco

[Gottfrid]

Will only be 56 when out. No problem, she have her whole life in front of her. Think have to work hard to scrape up for a decent pension, though. ????

[Andrew65]

4 hours ago, law ling said:

Yes, it was an uncomfortable case: "just signing for a delivery" ending in life, or 33 years (or worse).

 

Take away: don't sign for other peoples' deliveries.

I work in a warehouse that stocks lorry parts and regularly sign for packages/boxes that are delivered. They're always signed for before they are opened.

I'm certain that they only contain what they should, but in another place it would be easy to unwittingly sign for a package that contains illicit drugs.

[bradiston]

57 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

She was found guilty. Doubt there was much obvious corruption in this case. She played with fire and got caught. If the facts and story change in her favour then so will my view

The article says it was a sting, so she's been set up. By whom? Somebody being paid off. Most, if not all, big drug busts are a result of collusion between cops and a Mr Big further up the line. Sacrificial lambs. The cops get the drugs and the publicity, the Mr Big gets to stay in business until the next payment is due. You think anything happens here without money exchanging hands?

[crazykopite]

33 years for accepting a package that’s me finished using the likes of Lazada my reaction to this sorry tale is that the policeman who tortured and murdered a guy by suffocating him with plastic bags will be free long before her and the Red Bull guy will never ever see the inside of a prison 

[crazykopite]

20 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Will only be 56 when out. No problem, she have her whole life in front of her. Think have to work hard to scrape up for a decent pension, though. ????

Maybe only 56 but she will look 96 I can only conclude you have never done a social visit to one of Thailands prisons I have and believe me it’s daunting and all I was doing was visiting Brits in Samui prison . Now your no longer to bring them food in case there’s a razor blade in there so that they can end there life in the hell hole 

[prakhonchai nick]

As a farang, better to murder someone and get 8 years, than life reduced to 33 years for merely signing for a package!

[The Hammer2021]

5 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

What a waste of her life. Still better hers than those she was going to ruin 

Supplying  people with drugs  who need drugs is a good service! It's not ruining there lives. Your comment  indicates you know nothing about addiction and treatment  for addiction. Bit you know about hate  and punishment

[2 is 1]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Would you sign for and accept your neighbours' package if you knew that they were drug dealers?

Every Thai knows who deal drungs in they (soi,village). If foreigner is not "outsider" they know also! 

[Liverpool Lou]

26 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

33 years for accepting a package

No, 33 years for international drug trafficking and possession of Class 1 narcotics.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Liverpool Lou