Nelson court appeal in Japan fails

A court in Japan has rejected expert evidence defence lawyers had hoped would overturn drug trafficking charges against Perth grandmother Donna Nelson.

Indigenous woman Ms Nelson was arrested at Tokyo’s Narita Airport in January 2023 after two kilograms of methamphetamine was found hidden in her suitcase.

She has always claimed she was the victim of a ‘love scam’, a claim the Chiba District Court had dismissed.

Expert evidence from Romance scam expert Dr Monica Whitty was the basis of the appeal to the Tokyo High Court on Thursday.

Ms Nelson, 58, who is currently serving six years in jail in Japan, saw her appeal fail as the court struck down the evidence.

The court will announce its full judgement on September 25.