Update

GEORGE NEWS - "I will stay here in Thailand for as long as I can. I'm already establishing myself here."

So says Lynn Blignaut, mother of the 23-year-old Ashley Oosthuizen from George, who was arrested and put in a Thai jail in 2020.

Blignaut has been in Thailand for the last month and attended Oosthuizen's leave to appeal in the Koh Samui court on Wednesday 17 August.

"However grateful we are for everyone who wants to help, the visitation rules are very strict here. No packages are allowed and only family members are allowed to visit. I've been able to visit her a couple of times while I've been here. She is healthy and in good spirits," said Blignaut.

Appeal

Oosthuizen, a former Outeniqua High learner, was found guilty of drug dealing in 2021. She was initially told she would be sentenced to death, but on sentencing in August that year she received life imprisonment. 

And in Thailand this means her entire life, not 25 years as is the case in South Africa.

Although last week's appeal did not bring the news she and her family were hoping for, which was for her to be acquitted and sent home, Oosthuizen's life sentence was shortened to 33 years. The family has 30 days to appeal her sentence again. 

"Of course we hoped that she would be acquitted, but we rely on our heavenly Father and that He still has everything under control. We praise Him for every little miracle. Our trust is still in Him and we know that His plans for Ashley's future are good," said Blignaut.

Arrest

Oosthuizen left for Thailand when she was 19 and met her then boyfriend, Tristan Nettles, while she was working as a teacher. When she was laid off due to a dispute about her qualifications, Nettles offered her a position at a restaurant.

She was arrested for drug dealing after she accepted a package containing ecstasy from a delivery man at the restaurant in October 2020 - allegedly on behalf of someone else.

Oosthuizen maintains that she was unaware of the contents of the package and in a statement, Nettles admitted to using the restaurant for regular drug deals without his girlfriend's knowledge. 

But Nettles, a self-confessed dark web drug dealer with a history of criminal convictions, was never prosecuted as he left Thailand before Oosthuizen's arrest.

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