The Sydney girl offering comfort to the Sukumaran family

IN their darkest hours the Sukumaran family have sought counsel and comfort from one of the few Australians who truly knows what they are going through.

Never before seen photo from inside Kerobokan jail Kelly Ng, the best friend of executed Australian Van Nguyen, who was hanged in Singapore with Myuran Sukumaran and his sister Brintha. Christmas Service inside Kerobokan Jail, Wednesday, December 25, 2013.

KELLY Ng has been here before.

The best friend of the last Australian to be executed overseas, she has now become confidante and friend to Myuran Sukumaran’s family.

And while she knows all too well the pain of farewelling her friend Van Nguyen inside Singapore’s Changi jail before he was hanged in 2005, she says there was one important difference with the Bali Nine duo’s cruelly uncertain fate.

Never before seen photo from inside Kerobokan jail ... Kelly Ng, with Myuran Sukumaran and his sister Brintha. Picture: Supplied.

“Not being given specific information is very, very cruel,” she said on Tuesday, hours before the pair were executed.

The Sydney woman said she was “lost for words” during the pair’s last day.

Kelly has since become friends with Myuran Sukumaran’s sister, Brintha, who almost collapsed on Tuesday morning with grief, and has spent almost each Boxing Day with her and the Sukumaran family since about late 2007.

Yesterday, speaking from Melbourne, Kelly was tearful as she opened her heart about the distress of families and friends forced to endure an execution.

Grief ... Chintu Sukumaran and Michael Chan comfort Brintha Sukumaran as they talk to journalists at a hotel in Cilacap. Picture: Supplied

Overcome ... Brintha Sukumaran, Myuran Sukumaran's sister screams as she arrives at Wijaya Pura port to visit her brother for the last time. Picture: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

Kelly said the executions were taking her back to 2005 and the day she said goodbye to her close friend Van Nguyen, the day before he was hanged in Singapore.

“I try not to think about it. I made myself promise that I would keep it very separate and I have made a conscious effort not to think about it. The focus now is on Myuran and Andrew and all the others. They have their own families as well.”

Kelly first met brother Chinthu in late 2007-early 2008 through lawyer Julian McMahon, who also represented Van Nguyen.

She told Chinthu she would be happy to speak with Brintha and help her through her emotions and the pair struck up a relationship, initially through emails for eight or nine months and then Kelly flew to Sydney to meet Brintha.

After that, she flew to Sydney almost each Boxing Day to spend a few days with the family.

In 2013 she and Brintha travelled to Bali together to spend Christmas with Myuran.

Kelly attended a vigil at St Ignatius Richmond, the same place which held a vigil for Van Nguyen in 2005 and she was awake at 3am Australian time when the bullets entered the hearts of those on Nusakambangan.

Paying respects ... A woman places flowers outside the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra. Picture: AAP/Lukas Coch

Vigil ... Supporters of Bali Nine death row inmates Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamuran gather in Martin Place in Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

In 2005 she was at Changi prison, inside a room, as Nguyen went bravely to the gallows.

The day before she had said goodbye to her close friend.

But it was different to what the Sukumaran and Chan family went through. In Van Nguyen’s case the date and time for his execution was set and the kind of drama and shifting dates that surrounded this case did not exist.

Kelly’s heart breaks for what the families have been forced to endure.

“Not being given specific information is very very cruel,” she said.

Originally published as The Sydney girl offering comfort to the Sukumaran family