Troy Smith: Aussie dad allegedly caught with meth in Bali says he’s sorry as he fights to avoid a lengthy stint behind bars
An Australian father caught with meth in Bali says he now regrets his actions as he appeared in court for a second time.
Troy Andrew Smith, 49, appeared in court in Denpasar on Thursday as his trial continued.
The father-of-two, originally from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was allegedly caught with 3.19 grams of methamphetamine in a Colgate toothpaste container at the Champlung Mas Hotel in Legian on April 30.
Police are said to have found another 0.4 grams of the drug bought in Bali, along with a hookah and a lighter. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 12 years.
Smith was seen before the hearing sitting with his head bowed and looking dejectedly into his hands.
Wearing a white business shirt, tan slacks and brown riding boots with a matching belt, Smith sat with a stony expression and hands tightly clenched during the hearing.
His lawyer Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti told reporters outside the 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, could face 12 years in prison in Indonesia after allegedly being caught with meth in Bali
He told the court he regretted his actions when he spoke out about his drug use.
“I respect Bali, I respect Indonesia, I’m sorry,” Smith told the court on Thursday.
Mr Smith told the court he 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 been routinely using meth daily since 2020 to manage depression and anxiety.
He added that the last time he used the drugs was April 29, a day before his arrest.
Troy Smith told the hearing in the Denpasar court on Thursday that he regretted his actions
The trial also heard from two police officers who investigated the case and the prosecutor also read statements from two hotel employees who witnessed the arrest.
Smith was originally held in a shared jail cell with about a dozen other inmates, but was released to a rehabilitation center last month.
Bali’s National Narcotic Agency authorized the release, concluding that he was “using drugs for himself” and was not part of a criminal enterprise.
The trial will resume next Thursday (June 27) to hear the prosecution’s claim.
Lawyer Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti told reporters on Thursday that Smith was an addict who used the drug only for personal use and argued that rehabilitation was the right choice instead of punishment.
At the time of his arrest, Mr Smith was enjoying an extended honeymoon in Bali with his Nigerian-born wife Tracy Ijusa.
He said witnesses were asked if “there is any evidence of a conversation where Smith is selling or trying to share it with another person,” but there was none.
He also claimed that police found nothing to indicate he was a human trafficker on his phone.
“Troy used it for himself and has no connection with drug trafficking,” Sakti told reporters.
“The purpose is for his own consumption and then used to reduce his depression due to the 2020 Covid (pandemic).”
Mr Sakti said a treating doctor had recommended that Smith undergo rehabilitation for six months.
The lawyer emphasized how remorseful Smith was, but he couldn’t stop using drugs because he was addicted.
‘I have been with Troy for almost two to three months and I know he is telling the truth,” Mr Sakti said.
“From the first time he is arrested, he really regrets what he did, and after that he asks for forgiveness from the jury and then also from the citizens of Indonesia.”
Mr Smith is a father of two and is from Port Lincoln in South Australia, but was living in Cairns at the time of his arrest
“It is not his intention to disrespect Indonesians, the law or regulations.”
“He can’t control it because it’s addictive.”
Mr Sakti expressed hope that the prosecutor would also call for rehabilitation.
“We ask the judges to give Mr. Troy a chance to recover from his addiction,” Mr. Sakti said.
Mr Sakti vowed to “fight until we get the rehabilitation” and said if the court did not rule on this, Smith would appeal to Indonesia’s highest court.
So because based on the court today all the witnesses are talking about the rehabilitation and then for his own use when the judges are going to do different things and then we will fight under the highest court.
Smith, who now lives in the north Queensland city of Cairns, was honeymooning in Bali with new wife Tracy Ijusa at the time of the arrest.
Mr Smith and Ms Ijusa snapped some happy snaps as they enjoyed their honeymoon in Bali
Troy Smith (pictured during last week’s court hearing) was released from overcrowded Indonesian prison cell last month and transferred to a rehabilitation center
After Mr Smith popped the question in Bali in October and the couple married in late December in Nairobi, in Kenya’s capital, where Ms Ijusa is from.
Photos from the day show the couple loved up at the Lenana Mount Hotel, while other photos show them visiting the Maasai Mara National Reserve conservation park.
The couple then returned to Bali, with photos showing the couple enjoying their time on the Indonesian island since February.
One photo shows the newlyweds at the Hard Rock Café in Kuta, while others captured them lounging in a resort pool and celebrating at a beach party.
In a caption shared by the couple, Mrs. 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 earlier in his life, which led to his children cutting off contact with him and his marriage failing.
He said his world changed after meeting Mrs. Ijusa.