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LATEST NEWS
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Holly Deane-Johns home for Christmas
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Article from: The Sunday Times -
- Nick Taylor
November 17, 2007
 DRUG trafficker Holly Deane-Johns is expected to be "home" in WA for Christmas.
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The Perth woman, who is serving 31 years in a Bangkok prison for heroin smuggling, will be transferred to a WA jail by the end of the year.
A spokesman for the Federal Attorney-General's office confirmed to The Sunday Times that the Thai Government has given the go-ahead for her transfer.
Deane-Johns, who was caught trying to mail about 11g of heroin to Australia from a Bangkok post office in 2000, is expected to serve five more years in Bandyup Women's Prison.
She will be brought to WA under the Australia-Thailand prisoner-exchange treaty.
Strangely, Deane-Johns, who has not yet been told about the move, told a visitor to Bangkok's Central Women's Correctional Institution last week that she expected to be home for Christmas.
In a letter to supporter Brian Haffenden, Dean-Johns wrote: "Not long now until I'm home, thank goodness. It's definitely been a long, hard road.''
She also wrote : "Take good care of yourself, and I'll be seeing you very soon.''
Mr Haffenden said: "That's great news. It's a step in the right direction. I'm delighted for Holly.''
Labor MP John Hyde, a supporter of Deane-Johns who visited her in the Thai jail, said: "It's a credit to the Thai authorities to have got the paperwork to Australia. I maintain that by the Thai election on December 23, Holly will be back in WA.''
MP and lawyer John Quigley said: "I'm relieved that she is being taken from inhumane conditions and will serve the rest of her long sentence in an Australian jail.''
Both the State and Federal governments agreed on her transfer in August, after the move was initially blocked by WA's Corrective Services Minister Margaret Quirk.
The Federal Attorney-General's spokesman said the Thai Government had "provided its formal consent to the transfer of Ms Holly Deane-Johns from Thailand to Australia, on the terms agreed between the Australian and Western Australian governments.''
He said the department "can assure you that Ms Deane-Johns' application for transfer will be finalised as quickly as possible''.
He would not discuss further details about the Deane-Johns' application or transfer.
The Federal Government will send paperwork to the WA Government for signing and will liaise over her transfer.
In May, 2001, Deane-Johns pleaded guilty to a charge of exporting heroin and another charge of possessing heroin for the purpose of supply.
In the 1990s, the former Mt Lawley Senior High School student and one-time heroin addict spent five years at Bandyup for conspiracy to import drugs, importing heroin and possessing heroin.
Perth man John Doran was the first Australian to be freed from a Thai jail under the prison transfer act in 2003.
He served more than 2000 days of a 30-year sentence, later reduced to eight years, for trying to cash false travellers cheques worth $600.
The Sunday Times
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