Thread: Jake Mastroianni behind bars for life for possessing ecstasy pills in Thailand

JAKE Mastroianni was a nightclub king who travelled the globe and had beautiful women on his arm.

But his whole world came crashing down because of one stupid decision.
The Melbourne DJ has gone from living his dream to trying to survive in one of Thailand’s worst prisons.

Mastroianni, 26, also known as DJ Badmouth, has gone from club stardom to paying the ultimate price.

The party boy’s caps and baggy shirts have been replaced with clinical prison garb and his days of being king of the night-life are over.

Mastroianni had travelled the world to DJ. He’d been to China, Spain and Thailand.
The disc jockey had performed at one of Thailand’s notorious Full Moon parties, all-night raves where the alcohol comes in buckets and cocktails of drugs are consumed.
Mastroianni wrote on Facebook following his set in 2013 he was “feeling pumped”.
He also DJ’d at the Sapphire Club in Pattaya, 150km southeast from Bangkok, and should have been no stranger to Thailand’s rules.

He was successful, had beautiful girlfriends and also performed at many of Australia’s best clubs.

But it all came crashing down while he was in Thailand in 2014.



He was arrested at the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya for being in possession of about 60 ecstasy pills, alongside Briton Lance Whitmore (Ex-British soldier sentenced to 50 years in a Thai prison for drug charges) who was charged with carrying 200 pills.

Mastroianni was punished with two life sentences and this week he lost an appeal to have that sentence reduced.

Having narcotics in Thailand is a serious crime, especially since the Thai government declared a “war on drugs” in 2003.

The Asian Human Rights Commission reports out of Thailand’s 63 million citizens, three million take methamphetamines or “crazy pills”, prompting the government to take action.

The commission said most drug users were young people and strict laws were put in place to stop them.

In the first three months of the war on drugs, more than 2000 people were executed.

In Thailand, the possession of category one drugs, like ecstasy, LSD and heroin, for the purpose of disposal, carries a death penalty.

However, nobody has been sentenced to death since 2004.

The country attracted almost a million tourists between 2013-14.

In that same year, about 100 Australians were arrested on drug offences.



Whitmore and Mastroianni, who attended their appeal hearings shackled and wearing Thai prison clothing, have been in Klong Prem prison in Bangkok since being arrested two years ago.

It has a reputation for harsh living conditions, with up to four prisoners sometimes sharing a cell.

According to the Telegraph, the cells are about 1.5m x 3.5m and the toilet is just a hole in the ground.

Hidden behind the barbed wire and towering walls are thousands of prisoners, making it Thailand’s largest jail.

The Telegraph reports prisoners sometimes spend up to 13 hours compacted into their cells and regular drug urine tests are a must.

Diseases spread from cell to cell with heavily tattooed prisoners living in fear of contracting them.

The Telegraph reports prisoners can have relationships on the inside, but only with ladyboys.

Authorities must be made aware of the relationship and a commitment ceremony of some sort needs to take place.

A man who knows both Whitmore and Mastroianni posted on Facebook after their appeal was rejected.

“Thailand is a fun place with not a lot of rules .. but one very important rule .. NO DRUGS," Tim Ward said.

“I know both these guys, and neither one of them is tough enough for this punishment.”


[It's that Sharky guy, innnit? Phaark, with friends like that...]

AAP has sought comment from Mastroianni’s lawyers at Thailand Bail.

Earlier, Jeffery Stevens, a lawyer at Thailand Bail, representing both men, told The Guardian newspaper, they had hoped the court would reduce the already severe sentences.

“We’ve done everything we can,” Stevens said.

“At the end of the day, Lance did plead guilty. We were not fighting the fact that he was guilty.”

A legal consultant for Mastroianni, Nathan Feeney, told The Guardian Mastroianni would have received a much lighter sentence if he had pleaded guilty but his previous lawyers had advised him not to.

A spokesperson from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) told AAP it was providing consular assistance to an Australian man imprisoned in Thailand.

According to DFAT reports, there are 15 Australian prisoners held in Thailand, eight of whom face jail terms for drug related offences.

Reports said Mastroianni could qualify for a prison transfer application to Australia in six years.
— With AAP

Jake Mastroianni: The downfall of Melbourne DJ jailed for life in Thailand

Seems rather harsh when you consider that running some cop over with a super car will get you...erm, no charges or court appearance at all. Life? Rape,murder and being a retard behind the wheel in LOS seem to attract lesser sentences- and I think that's just tragic.

Personaly, I would also like to see this pill legalized, it does very little harm compared to booze and smokes unless you get a dud pill or one that is just too potent.

Tim Ward is correct about the rules here though.

While the rules between one crime and another regardless of its severity and the punishment dished out are unfair, personally, I have no sympathy for anyone here that takes drugs and is caught using them.

Originally Posted by kingwilly

prisoners can have relationships on the inside, but only with ladyboys

Shouldn't be a problem.

A ridiculously OTT sentence, yet you know under the Thai way of doing things, he won't serve the full sentence. If he has a source of money on the inside, his conditions will be nowhere hear as bad as the sensationalist western press makes out either. If.

Sorry to be sardonic, but these Thai prison sagas (when it involves a westerner that is) resemble to me these "poor exploited Thai bargirl" sagas- y'know, sold into slavery and all that, spoon fed to a gullible audience by western tabloids. Just a soap opera.

And if you can't do the Time, don't do the Crime. And if caught red handed, plead Guilty.

Taking drugs shouldn't be a crime IMO- dealing them is a different matter as it often comes with violence etc. I think the Portugal method is a sensible way to go for the 21st Century. Take the money and power away from the dealers and they will be shut down soon enough

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

While the rules between one crime and another regardless of its severity and the punishment dished out are unfair, personally, I have no sympathy for anyone here that takes drugs and is caught using them.

The volume he was caught with (60 pills) indicate he was supplying, and therefore cutting into someone else's business. Usually BiB or military. That is the major crime and thus Draconian sentence here.

Originally Posted by kmart

That is the major crime and thus Draconian sentence here.

Hit the nail on the head there. Still. here in Myanmar he would have got the death sentence- one pill would be enough to achieve that here-harsh

He made two bad decisions in his life.

One trying to make a living out of being a DJ and then deciding to deal in drugs.

''He was successful''..

I don't believe a bit of DJ'ing around Oz, Thailand and China amounts to one as being successful, hardly the stuff of legend.

Massacre 9 lives in a sports car and you can do community service at your leisure. Bag of pills, 6 trillion years. Fucked up laws in LOS.

Awww...Lukey...Lukey...Lukey. Nail on the head.

If he was successful he would have bought his plane ticket out of Thailand. That's exactly how f**ked up the law is in ĹOS.

I read that between him and the former British soldier that they were well past holding the amount of pills to qualify for a personal joy ride. (They were dealing unless they were set up.)

ONE doesn't require ecstasy to be a good dj...particularly when one is young, gifted and...successful.

I can only hope that they make it through the system to write a book to serve as another warning.

I doubt any of their fellow druggie cronies were remotely interested in this news

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

He made two bad decisions in his life.

One trying to make a living out of being a DJ and then deciding to deal in drugs.

He was a nightclub king who traveled the world. He lived the dream.

“feeling pumped”.

The dealer is the guy whose dad has a bar at pattaya ?

The drug business in thailand is run by the Royal Thai Police. They supply the dealers and licence the dealers to operate in specific areas. It helps to keep it nice and calm and avoid US style turf wars. If a dealer steps out of line then old know where to find him...

There is no crime more severe in kalaland than stealing from the police rice bowl.

Originally Posted by Lostandfound

The drug business in thailand is run by the Royal Thai Police. They supply the dealers and licence the dealers to operate in specific areas.

Yeah, Thailand is covered in a network of ecstasy dealing franchises run by the Royal Thai Police...

Ya clueless idiot.

Originally Posted by sabang

And if you can't do the Time, don't do the Crime. And if caught red handed, plead Guilty.

It's not whether we think the penalty is fair or not in my opinion.

"It is what it is."

I understand that we were all young once and young folks don't always think about the consequences.

But life in a Thai prison is really, the ultimate price to pay.

Originally Posted by stroller

Originally Posted by Lostandfound

The drug business in thailand is run by the Royal Thai Police. They supply the dealers and licence the dealers to operate in specific areas.

Yeah, Thailand is covered in a network of ecstasy dealing franchises run by the Royal Thai Police...

Ya clueless idiot.

That's exactly how it works in Pattaya. Dickhead.

Originally Posted by Lostandfound

The drug business in thailand is run by the Royal Thai Police. They supply the dealers and licence the dealers to operate in specific areas. It helps to keep it nice and calm and avoid US style turf wars. If a dealer steps out of line then old know where to find him...

There is no crime more severe in kalaland than stealing from the police rice bowl.

You need to telephone the Junta. You can put a stop to this. Godspeed my friend.

I like Lostandfound inside analiasis of why there are no drug turf wars in Pattaya, bloody good policing keeping the lid on that.
Other forces over the world have failed to stop this, notably Mexico.

I believe, no matter the sentence imposed, the maximum term served in Thai jails is 20 years. Being a farang, and with good behaviour, he'll likely be out in ten. After six years, he's eligible for prison exchange with UK. If he's lucky and they relax the rather draconian drug laws here (and make it retrospective), maybe sooner.

Good thing he didn't do it in Indonesia. Or the Fil's.

Originally Posted by sabang

he's eligible for prison exchange with UK

He might be a bit screwed if they send him to UK, being as he is an Aussie and all...