Japanese court convicts Australian who says she was tricked into smuggling drugs

Donna Nelson’s daughter Kristal Hilaire voiced fears over her mother outside the Chiba District Court (AP)

A Japanese court has sentenced an Australian woman to six years in prison for smuggling amphetamines into the country – despite accepting her testimony that she was tricked as part of an online romance scam.

Donna Nelson, 58, from Perth, was found guilty at Chiba District Court of violating stimulants control and customs laws. It ordered her to pay a fine of one million yen (£5,276) in addition to serving a prison term.