A former Australian TV actor turned financial investor has been sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, almost seven years after he was arrested.
Karm Gilespie had not been heard of since December 2013, when he was arrested at a Hong Kong airport with more than 7.5 kgs of methamphetamine in his luggage.
That was until June 10 when local media reported Mr Gilespie had been sentenced to death by the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court.
Mr Gilespie had a recurring role on popular 1990s drama Blue Heelers before moving into wealth and financial management, which led him to spend an increased amount of time in Asia, away from his hometown of Melbourne.
Friends of Mr Gilespie, 56, expressed their shock at the news and told how they had been trying to find out information about his whereabouts since 2013 without luck.
Australian man Karm Gilespie has been sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, almost seven years after he was arrested
His friend Roger Hamilton (left) posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie (second from left) in 2013 at a financial forum (pictured), before he ‘disappeared’
American entrepreneur Roger Hamilton posted a statement on Facebook telling how he had last seen Mr Gilespie in 2013 at a financial forum, before he ‘disappeared’.
‘This is a photo of Karm Gilespie (in the red shirt) graduating from our WD Masters 7 years ago. Soon after, Karm disappeared,’ Mr Hamilton wrote.
‘He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared.
‘He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared.
‘Today I heard the news of what had happened to him. He has been in a Chinese jail for 7 years and has now been sentenced to death.
‘This is an Australian citizen who has been kept secretly in jail by a foreign government for 7 years before being sentenced to death with no due process.’
It is understood Mr GIlespie is married and has several children.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told Daily Mail Australia they were providing consular assistance.
‘We are deeply saddened to hear of the verdict made in his case. Australia opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances for all people,’ a spokesperson said.
The news comes at a time when diplomatic ties between Australia and China are at an almost all time low, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured with foreign minister Marise Payne) called for an inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic
‘We support the universal abolition of the death penalty and are committed to pursuing this goal through all the avenues available to us.’
According to some local media reports Mr Gilespie had left the Hong Kong airport in December 2013, only to be stopped by customs officers outside who allegedly found the methamphetamine in his checked luggage.
Local news outlet Ifeng.com reports that he was sentenced to death on June 10, but will now have an opportunity to appeal.
‘On the morning of June 10, the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court made a first-instance judgment on the smuggling of drugs by the Australian defendant and sentenced him to death for the crime of drug smuggling,’ the Chinese site said.
The news comes at a time when diplomatic ties between Australia and China are at an almost all time low, after becoming increasingly strained during the coronavirus pandemic.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was angered by the calls for an inquiry into his nation’s handling of the virus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan
Peter Gardner (pictured) has also been in a Chinese prison since 2015 on drugs charges
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, angering his Chinese counterparts.
A number of Australians are currently being detained in China, including a fellow convicted drug smuggler Peter Gardiner.
Mr Gardiner, a joint Australian and New Zealand citizen, has been behind bars since 2015 after he was caught allegedly trying to smuggle 30kg of methamphetamine into the country.
Mr Gardner was stopped at Gangzhou airport in November 2014 and arrested with his then girlfriend Kalynda Davis.
Gardner, then 26, is accused of attempting to board a flight to Sydney with two suitcases which were superglued shut and allegedly contained the drugs.
Chinese authorities claim it is the largest haul of drugs ever recorded at the airport.
Gillespie was allegedly carrying more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his checked luggage (file image)
The Guangzhou (pictured) Intermediate People’s Court handed down the sentence on June 10
Two Canadians were handed death sentences by China in 2019 amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Canadian citizen Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was handed death sentence after a retrial in January 2019.
Fan Wei was sentenced to death in the Jiangmen Intermediate People’s Court in Guangdong province three months later.
Canada accused the Chinese government of payback after Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on behalf of the United States.
The United States had accused him of working to evade sanctions against Iran.
He is being detained under house arrest in Canada and fighting extradition to the United States.