A former Sunshine Coast man sentenced to more than five years' jail in Bali for possession of cocaine had to "pay the price", his stepfather declared after the verdict.
Key points:
- Bali police charged Brendon Johnsson after they found 12 grams of cocaine in plastic bags
- Johnsson and girlfriend Remi Purwanto have been sentenced to more than five years' jail
- Stepdad Ashley Robinson says the family hope Johnsson will use the prison time to change his ways
Brendon Luke Johnsson, 43, was arrested last August when police acting on a tip-off raided the room he rented at Kuta Beach with his Indonesian girlfriend, Remi Purwanto.
Outside the court in Denpasar, Johnsson's stepfather Ashley Robinson welcomed the sentence and urged other people not to do such "stupid things".
Police found 12 grams of cocaine in plastic bags in Johnsson's room, worth about $3,000.
Prosecutors alleged Johnsson had been selling and using drugs in Bali for the past five years.
They had sought an eight-year sentence, but the judges in Bali sentenced both Johnsson and Purwanti to five years and four months.
They were both also ordered to pay a fine of 800 million rupiah, or about $80,000.
Mr Robinson, who was in court to hear the sentence handed down, said the case had been a "massive learning curve" for their family.
"He's got to pay the price for what he's done. He's just got to put his head down now and do his time and be a good prisoner and be productive in there," he said.
"I hope that people watching in Australia know that you cannot, do not do stupid things like Brendon did here because there are consequences and he's got to pay the price.
"I would not like to see another family put through what we've been put through."
'We always knew we'd get a call'
Mr Robinson, who received an Order of Australia medal for his charitable work on the Sunshine Coast, said his step-son had been addicted to drugs since he was 16 years old.
"We always knew we were going to get a phone call and we did. It could've been hospital, it could've been like this one and arrested or it could've been worse," he said.
"So the way I see it, and his mother, is that there is a silver lining. This gives him an opportunity to do his time and come back to Australia and be a better person and be productive and have a good rest of his life.
Mr Robinson also thanked the Indonesian Government for their assistance and looking after his step-son.
"He hasn't touched drugs since August 4, so this is the first time he's been clean since he was 16.
"He's shown in prison at the moment that he can change.
"He's in prison, but he is a different person. He's thinking clearly … he's going to the meetings, he's doing everything right and we're really proud of him as a family."
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February 28, 2019 at 05:09AM
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