One member of the Bali Nine drug syndicate faces a heartbreaking goodbye when their transfer to Australia is finally confirmed by Indonesian authorities in coming weeks.
Matthew Norman, 38, has built an unconventional life for himself during his 19 years behind bars at Bali’s feared Kerobokan Prison, with his wife of eight years, Anita, by his side.
However, once Norman is back on Australian soil, he will be banned from ever going back to Indonesia, throwing their 12-year relationship into jeopardy.
Norman and Anita had been dating for four years before the happy couple tied the knot in the prison grounds, surrounded by friends and family, on February 5, 2016.
The day also signified Norman becoming a stepfather to Anita’s young daughter Stella, now 15, who was their bridesmaid.
The family have since made the most of relaxed visitor rules that allow them to spend up to three hours a day together and turned the prison into a bizarre home from home for them.
Loving photos of the family show the smiling husband and wife celebrating special occasions, including Stella’s recent graduation in June and Norman’s birthday in September.
Norman’s devoted father Michael has also moved to Bali to be beside his son after packing up his life in Sydney over concerns for his son’s wellbeing while in jail.
Matthew Norman, 38, has built an unconventional life for himself during his 19 years behind bars at Bali’s feared Kerobokan Prison, with his wife of eight years, Anita, by his side
Matthew Norman will never be allowed to return Indonesia again if he’s transferred to Australia
Anita’s daughter Stella was a toddler when Norman started to date her mother and is now a doting father to the teenager
However, Norman’s mother, Robyn, died earlier this year before she could see her son ever walk free from jail.
Norman also runs a screen printing and graphic design program called Redemption from his jail.
The program teaches prisoners skills and ‘helps them make better choices to break the cycle of reoffending’.
Norman was just 18 years old when he was arrested and the youngest member of the gang when police swooped.
The emotional stress he was suffering in jail soon after his arrest was a cause for concern for psychiatrists who spoke with him days after his incarceration.
After two weeks, he was the only one of his cellmates including, Tan Duk Thanh Nguyen, Si Yi Chen, Scott Rush, Renae Lawrence and Michael Czugaj, who had still not had a visit from his family.
Norman’s parents were notably absent while the other parents arrived with food and care packages for their kids while they were being held ahead of a trial.
Reports at the time suggested his family had gone into hiding after receiving ominous threats from the drug lord kingpins behind the smuggling operation.
It remains unclear how the inmates will be returned to Australia or whether or not they will have to serve the remainder of their time behind bars on home soil.
Matthew Norman is seen behind bars in 2007 at Bali’s notorious Kerobokan jail
Pictured from top-left : Myuran Sukumaran, Scott Rush, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Renae Lawrence. Bottom: Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj, Martin Stephen and Andrew Chan
Home affairs minister Tony Burke is jetting off to Jakarta this week to negotiate the final details, raising hopes they could be returned in weeks if not days.
The reprieve will come too late for the ringleaders Chan and Sukumaran, who were executed by firing squad in April 2015.
Nguyen died from cancer in 2018, while Lawrence was released that year when her life sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal.
Yi Chen is serving his sentence alongside Norman in Kerobokan. Martin Stephens, Rush and Czugaj are in jails across Bali and Java.
