Fresh blow for man in 'jail hell' (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Fresh blow for man in 'jail hell'

THE "friend" accused of duping Nick Baker into carrying £1.5 million worth of drugs into Japan, is walking the streets, despite facing drug trafficking charges himself.

The man, who can't be named for legal reasons, is said to be wanted in connection with similar scams all over the world and was held in Brussels after his arrest there last May.

Yet, while concerns grow over the mental state of former Cirencester sandwich shop manager Nick, who is languishing in a tough Japanese prison, the "friend" has been allowed out on bail.

Nick's mother Iris Baker, who lives in the Cirencester area, is determined to get justice for her son.

She said: "I'm very angry that a so-called friend could do that to Nick and then do nothing to help him. I hope there will be a judgement for this man too.

"Nick's mental state, I believe, is slipping far into a black hole. He spends most of his day crouched in the corner of his cage crying and shaking.

"I hope my son's situation will not be another statistic and that someone will do something when it's not too late to help him."

Nick, 31, was arrested in April last year after carrying a suitcase with more than 41,000 Ecstasy tablets and 30 ounces of cocaine into Japan.

Mrs Baker says Nick, who has a two-year-old son and a partner in Stroud, had travelled to the country to visit football stadiums ahead of the World Cup.

Nick claims he was left to look after his friend's luggage when his travelling partner offered to collect Nick's belongings from the carousel.

He says his friend then suggested they meet on the other side of customs as there were two queues moving at different speeds.

When police opened the case Nick was carrying, which Mrs Baker says had a false bottom, they discovered the drugs.

Since his arrest, Mrs Baker says her son has lost three stone in weight, is dirty and unshaven and has been put on suicide watch at the prison in Chiba, near Tokyo, where he is being held.

His case has won the support of MEP Baroness Ludford, and Mrs Baker has also contacted the international Fair Trials Abroad (FTA) charity, which helps EU citizens who say they are innocent of the crimes they are accused of.

FTA case worker Sabine Zanker said: "We are really worried about Nick's mental state. We will continue to fight for him because we are sure that he's innocent."

A Foreign Office spokesman confirmed that Nick's "friend" was arrested in Belgium on May 9 last year for possession of drugs. He was released on bail on March 18.