Noriko Sakai Convicted!

Noriko Sakai was finally convicted for Drug Use charges, here are the details:

Actress Noriko Sakai was handed a suspended sentence Monday in a Tokyo District Court ruling in her trial over drug use and possession.

The court handed the 38-year-old actress, whose real name is Noriko Takaso, an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, for violating the Stimulants Control Law.

Judge Hiroaki Murayama said it could be accepted that Sakai used illegal drugs habitually and had a certain level of dependence on them, adding that her criminal responsibility was “certainly not light.”

In giving a reason for handing the actress a suspended sentence, the judge said, “She has made a decision to break away from using drugs, and is considering divorcing her husband, who recommended that she use them.”

After handing down the ruling, the judge told the actress, “I imagine that as a longtime entertainer, you have played roles in many dramas and films, but regrettably, this case is a fact. You probably sense the weight of this, but I hope that you will not give in and will make a new start, severing yourself from drugs.”

Sakai appeared in court wearing a pantsuit with a black blouse and clutching a white handkerchief. When the body of the ruling was read out, she looked forward toward the judge, barely moving.

When the judge told Sakai, “If you commit another crime, then the suspension of your sentence will be annulled, and a further penalty will be handed down on top of this 18-month sentence,” and added, “Your life from now onwards is extremely important,” the actress nodded.

The judge later asked the actress to read out the sentence, and she clearly said, “One year, six months’ imprisonment, suspended for three years.” The judge then said, “Take care not to forget this,” and Sakai bowed deeply to the judge and public prosecutors before leaving the courtroom.

The actress was convicted of inhaling stimulants with her husband Yuichi Takaso, 41, at a hotel on Amami Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, when they went to the island to witness a total solar eclipse around July 30. She was also charged with being in possession of 0.008 grams of stimulants at her condominium in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on Aug. 3. The former actress’s husband is also on trial, facing charges of violating the law.

The ruling said it was clear that the actress had an attachment to drugs, based on the fact that she used them while on a trip and stored the drugs that were left over for further use.

Sakai stated that she had first taken illegal drugs about four years ago after her husband offered them to her, and from about last summer had used them between one time and several times a month. Based on this and the fact that she admitted having suggested using drugs, the court rejected lawyers’ claim that her use was not habitual.

Sakai’s husband was first questioned by police on a street in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on Aug. 2. He alerted the actress and she arrived at the scene, but she later disappeared. The ruling said Sakai was vicious for having fled in an attempt to avoid her use of stimulants being discovered. However, the court noted that the actress had reflected on her actions and had been punished by society, being sacked by her talent agency.

Sakai admitted in full to the charges against her and told the court, “I always have a sense of regret and self-searching, wondering why I couldn’t stop using them.”

Source: Mainichi, Japan Today

The only thing I could say is that the whole case was a media circus and it affected Noriko Sakai´s life and career in a bad way. There should be a lesson to learn for this.

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