An Australian father allegedly caught with methamphetamine in Bali says he now regrets his actions as he appears in court for the second time.
Troy Andrew Smith, 49, appeared in Denpasar District Court on Thursday as his trial continued.
The father-of-two, originally from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was allegedly caught with 3.19g of methamphetamine inside a Colgate toothpaste container at the Champlung Mas hotel in Legian on April 30.
Police allegedly found another 0.4g of drugs that had been bought in Bali, along with a water pipe and a lighter. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 12 years.
Smith was seen before the trial hearing sitting with his head bowed and looking dejectedly at his hands.
Wearing a white business shirt, tan slacks and brown riding boots with matching belts, Smith sat during the hearing with a stony expression and his arms clenched tightly.
His lawyer, Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti, told reporters outside court that Smith would appeal to Indonesia’s highest court if he is denied the opportunity to “cure his addiction.”
Australian Troy Andrew Smith, 49, faces possible 12 years in prison in Indonesia after allegedly being caught with methamphetamine in Bali.
He told the court he regretted his actions when he spoke about his drug use.
“I respect Bali, I respect Indonesia, I’m sorry,” Smith told the court on Thursday.
Smith told the court he had ordered the drugs from a man in Australia three weeks before his arrest.
He added that the drugs were not for sale but for personal use.
Smith told the court he had routinely used methamphetamine daily to reduce depression and anxiety since 2020.
He added that the last time he used the drug was on April 29, a day before his arrest.
Troy Smith said at the hearing in Denpasar District Court on Thursday that he regretted his actions.
The trial also heard from two police officers investigating the matter and the prosecutor also read statements from two hotel employees who witnessed the arrest.
Smith had originally been languishing in a cell shared with a dozen other inmates, but was released to a halfway house last month.
The National Narcotics Agency in Bali authorized the release and concluded that he “was using drugs for himself” and was not part of a criminal enterprise.
The trial resumes next Thursday (June 27) to hear the prosecutor’s demand.
Defense lawyer Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti told reporters on Thursday that Smith was an addict who only used the drug for personal use and argued that the appropriate course was rehabilitation rather than punishment.
At the time of his arrest, Mr Smith was enjoying a long honeymoon in Bali with his Nigerian-born wife Tracy Ijusa.
He said witnesses were asked if “there is any evidence that Smith is selling it or trying to share it with someone else,” but there was none.
He also claimed that police had found nothing on his phone to suggest he was a trafficker.
“Troy used it for himself and it has no connection to any drug trafficking,” Sakti told reporters.
‘The purpose is for your own consumption and then used to reduce your depression due to the Covid (pandemic) 2020.’
Sakti said a doctor had recommended that Smith be in rehab for six months.
The lawyer highlighted how sorry Smith was but that he couldn’t stop himself from using drugs because he was an addict.
‘“I’ve been with Troy for almost two, even three months, and I know he’s telling the truth,” Mr. Sakti said.
“From the first moment he was arrested, he really regretted what he was doing, and then he asked for forgiveness from the panel of judges and then also from the citizens of Indonesia.”
Mr Smith is a father of two and is originally from Port Lincoln in South Australia, but was living in Cairns at the time of his arrest.
“It is not intended to disrespect Indonesians, neither the law nor the rules.”
“You can’t control yourself to do it because it’s addictive.”
Sakti expressed hope that the prosecution would also ask for rehabilitation.
“We ask the judges to give Mr. Troy the opportunity to cure his addiction,” Mr. Sakti said.
Sakti vowed to “fight until we get rehabilitation” and said that if the court did not decide this then Smith would appeal to Indonesia’s highest court.
So because according to today’s court, all the witnesses are talking about rehabilitation and then for their own consumption if the judges are going to do different things and then we will fight in the highest court.
Smith, who now lives in the northern Queensland city of Cairns, was on his honeymoon in Bali with his new wife, Tracy Ijusa, at the time of the arrest.
Mr Smith and Mrs Ijusa took several happy photos while enjoying their honeymoon in Bali.
Troy Smith (pictured at last week’s court hearing) was allowed out of a crowded prison cell in Indonesia last month and transferred to a rehabilitation center.
After Smith popped the question in Bali in October and the couple tied the knot at the end of December in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, where Ijusa is originally from.
Photos from the day show the couple in love at the Lenana Mount Hotel, while other photos show them visiting the Masai Mara National Reserve wildlife conservation park.
The couple then returned to Bali, with snaps showing the pair enjoying time on the Indonesian island from February.
One of the images shows the newlyweds at the Hard Rock Café in Kuta, while others captured them lounging at a resort pool and celebrating at a beach party.
In a caption of the couple’s photo, Ijusa, who describes herself as a fashion blogger and Instagram model, wrote: “My favorite place in the world is next to you.”
Smith had struggled with alcoholism early in his life, which caused his children to cut off contact with him and his marriage to break up.
He said his world changed after meeting Ijusa.
