Bali Nine member admits decades-old 'joyriding' charge

Matthew Norman, a member of the Bali Nine, has avoided punishment for allegedly riding in a stolen vehicle before leaving Australia, nearly two decades after being imprisoned. Norman was sentenced for attempting to smuggle heroin and was held in Bali's Kerobokan prison along with eight others, two of whom were eventually executed. This ordeal has significantly impacted his life and legal standing.

After being released and returning to Australia, Norman, now 38, was charged with riding in a stolen vehicle in March 2005, when he was 18 years old. Recently, Norman pleaded guilty in Sydney's Waverley Local Court, and the judge dismissed the charge without recording a conviction. The dismissal offers a chance for him to move forward without this past issue hindering his progress.

Local Magistrate Michael Barko stated that he saw no point in punishing Norman, noting that it was rare for an arrest warrant to remain outstanding for such a long period. He suggested that, typically, police could have applied to the court to have the warrant withdrawn, given the passage of time and the specific circumstances. "It's been 20 years since the offending," he said, emphasizing the unusual delay.

However, Barko added that he did not take into account Norman's time served in an Indonesian prison when dealing with the current charge. "Crime comes at a cost," he said. "Different jurisdictions have different policies and philosophies about how long that should be." This highlights the complexities of international law and differing justice systems.

Another member of the Bali Nine, Renae Lawrence, was the driver of the vehicle and was fined after being released from an Indonesian prison in 2018. The court heard that the pair were stopped by police in the vehicle at around 4 a.m., and Lawrence failed to stop, with police attempting to use tire spikes to halt the vehicle. The third attempt to use spikes was successful, and Norman and Lawrence both fled on foot, being caught shortly after in bushland. Their apprehension marked the end of a dramatic chase.

After being arrested, both fully admitted to the offenses, with Lawrence saying she was the one who stole the car. Norman was charged at the time, but he did not appear in court because he was already in custody in Indonesia. "The Australian public knows why he didn't appear," the judge said, acknowledging the well-known circumstances surrounding his absence.

Norman was released from an Indonesian prison in December along with Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj, who are now all in their 30s or 40s. Less than a month after returning home, Norman was arrested and charged with riding in a stolen vehicle. The court heard that Norman had no criminal record "in this country." While in prison, Norman witnessed the execution of the group's two alleged ringleaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, by firing squad in 2015. This experience undoubtedly left a lasting impact on him.

Lawrence was released in 2018, the same year that Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen died of cancer. The Australian and Indonesian governments eventually reached an agreement in December to release the remaining prisoners, with Indonesia's Senior Minister for Legal Affairs, Yusrul Izza Mahendra, stating that the agreement was "reciprocal in nature." Australian ministers denied a quid pro quo agreement that would force the federal government to consider future releases of Indonesian prisoners. The five men who were not pardoned are banned from entering Indonesia for life. This agreement brought closure to a long and complex chapter.