An Australian father allegedly caught with methamphetamine in Bali has appeared in court for the first time and faces a possible 12-year sentence if convicted.
Troy Smith, 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, Bali, 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.
Smith, 49, was initially charged with drug trafficking, which carries a possible life sentence, but those charges were changed to drug possession and use earlier this month.
He had originally been languishing in a cell shared with a dozen other inmates, but was released into a rehabilitation center last month after Bali’s National Narcotics Agency concluded that he “was using drugs for himself” and was not part of of a criminal enterprise.
Troy Smith, 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, Bali, on April 30 (pictured: front to court on Thursday).
Smith, 49, nervously played with his wedding ring as he sat on a wooden bench awaiting his fate (pictured).
Smith appeared pale as he was taken in handcuffs from the back of a police van on Thursday.
The father of two, wearing a white shirt, tan chinos and a red prison vest, did not answer questions from waiting reporters and hid his face in the corner of a holding cell.
He was then led past the media scrum onto the court, where he nervously played with his wedding ring as he sat on a wooden bench awaiting his fate.
Mr. Smith was charged with two alternative articles of the Indonesian Drug Law, one related to drug possession and the other related to drug use.
The former has a maximum prison sentence of 12 years, while the latter has a maximum sentence of four years, with the possibility of being sent to a rehabilitation center if he is proven to be an addict.
The prosecutor said Smith possessed, kept, controlled or supplied narcotics, including 3.15 grams of crystal methamphetamine, without permission from authorities.
“The methamphetamine was sent by a friend from Australia, while the other methamphetamine was bought on the street around Jalan Melasti Legian Kuta, Badung, from someone who was selling it,” the prosecutor told the court.
Mr. Smith made no objection to the indictment after it was read in court.
His trial is expected to continue next week and he has been sent to a rehabilitation center.
Mr Smith’s case was taken up by “fixer” John McLeod, who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail.
McLeod revealed Thursday that Smith was “committed to following all legal protocols diligently.”
“Our legal team has prepared thoroughly and we are confident in the integrity of the Indonesian judicial system,” McLeod added.
‘Troy is making significant progress in his recovery at the rehab clinic. His determination to overcome his addictions is evident and she benefits from daily professional support.
“With a new zest for life, Troy is committed to overcoming his challenges.”
Mr Smith was on holiday with his wife Tracey when he was arrested by the police (apirs appear together in happier times)
Mr Smith’s lawyer, Sienny Karmana, previously said The advertiser His charges were reduced after the National Narcotics Agency in Bali concluded that he was using drugs for himself.
“The drug assessment team found that he was a drug user,” Ms Karmana said.
“He’s been addicted to drugs for years.”
The anti-narcotics agency, which determines whether people arrested on drug charges in Indonesia are users, addicts or traffickers, also concluded that Smith was not part of any narcotics syndicate.
Karmana said his client needed rehabilitation more than jail.
‘We, as lawyers, only hope that the judge can sentence him to rehabilitation, since he suffers from addiction.
“What he needs now is rehabilitation, not jail.”
Mr Smith was on holiday with his wife Tracey when he was arrested by police.
The couple, who met on Tinder, married in December in their hometown of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
Mr Smith has struggled with alcoholism in his life, which caused his children to cut contact with him and his marriage to fall apart.
Before his arrest, he was enjoying a globe-trotting life as a newlywed, having married his wife.
The father of two, wearing a white shirt, tan chinos and a red prison vest, did not answer questions from waiting reporters and hid his face in the corner of a holding cell.
“I’ve had an interesting last twelve years,” Smith said in a video.
‘Chronic alcoholic, absolutely at rock bottom. You couldn’t have drunk more than me.
‘I didn’t see any way out and to be honest I probably should be dead. The children don’t talk to me anymore.
“But then, in the strangest of circumstances, on a Tinder meetup I met this girl in Nairobi and I’ve been in Bali ever since.
‘Now I love life. This girl gives me motivation to do everything. She’s my life now.’
