Meth-accused dad Troy Smith hires Schapelle Corby’s ‘fixer’ as he faces serious drug charges

The man who helped Schapelle Corby out of jail says a dad facing life in a Bali jail deserves empathy – as he sets out to solve an alleged drug package mystery.

The high-profile ‘fixer’ who helped free Schapelle Corby has been hired by South Australian dad Troy Smith, who is facing life in prison if found guilty over drug trafficking charges in Bali.

John McLeod, a former police officer-turned-consultant and bodyguard, will conduct his own investigations into the origin of a package allegedly packed with 3.15g of meth that was delivered to Mr Smith’s hotel room.

The return address listed on the package was that of Mr Smith’s rented unit in Cairns.

Mr Smith has denied knowing there were illicit drugs inside the package and told authorities the delivery was unsolicited.

Mr McLeod has helped orchestrate the release of numerous Aussies from Indonesian prisons, including assisting Corby out of the island’s infamous Kerobokan jail — where Mr Smith could end up in a matter of weeks if his request to enter a rehabilitation centre is rejected.

The former police officer told The Advertiser he would go to Cairns in coming days to gather evidence for Mr Smith’s case, before travelling to Bali to present his findings to authorities.

Former police officer John McLeod’s private consulting firm helped orchestrate Schapelle Corby’s release from Kerobokan Prison. Picture: Patrick Hamilton

Schapelle Corby spent nine years imprisoned in one of Indonesia’s most notorious jails.

He said there were things that he believed “were not factual” in claims made by Balinese authorities, who upgraded Mr Smith’s charges to possession and trafficking – the latter of which carries a sentence of life imprisonment – after alleging the father had brought 0.04g of meth into the country from Australia.

Queensland Police said they were unable to comment when asked whether they were working with Indonesian authorities over Mr Smith’s case or investigating who it was sent by.

Mr Smith’s lawyer Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti said his client had arrived in Bali a week before the arrest and planned to stay for a month.

But on April 30, Mr Smith’s room at Champlung Mas Hotel in Legian, an area north of Kuta, was searched by police, where they allegedly discovered a package of “lubricant” that contained the 3.15g of drugs.

The smaller amount of meth was allegedly found inside a sunglasses case in a drawer of a bedside table in Mr Smith’s hotel room.

Mr Smith will be held in police detention while authorities, including Bali’s prosecution office, compile evidence for the case – a process which could take weeks.

His lawyer has made a request to be sent to a rehabilitation centre while investigations are underway but, if this is unsuccessful, Mr Smith will spend his time in custody before the trial in Kerobokan Prison.

SA father Troy Smith is facing drug charges in Bali. Picture: Komang Erviani

Mr Smith’s new wife Tracy has visited the police headquarters where he is currently being held. Picture: Instagram

The Cairns apartment block listed as the return address on the package allegedly containing 3.15g of meth. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Mr McLeod said the focus for now was on his client’s wellbeing, as the self-confessed alcoholic and methamphetamine addict battled symptoms of withdrawal while in custody.

“It’s not a pretty sight … the police over there are very good, but they’re constrained by legal parameters,” Mr McLeod said.

“He’s getting the best treatment we can get to him at the moment, which is our main priority.”

The private consultant said Mr Smith’s new wife Tracy Ijusa, 31, who he married in December last year, was holding up okay under the “overwhelming” circumstances.

After being turned away from visiting her husband in emotional scenes on Monday, Mrs Smith returned to the police station on Tuesday, carrying what appeared to be lunch boxes and bags of goods.

Mr McLeod urged compassion for Mr Smith’s circumstances.

“I know everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon saying: ‘He did this’, or, ‘He did that’, but I think you might find that a lot of the things claimed are not the case,” he said.

“Everyone’s pretty quick to jump on and condemn people until it’s their own kid or own brother.”

In January last year, Mr McLeod helped a 52-year-old surf instructor from Perth avoid the firing squad after successfully convincing three judges to treat him as an addict, rather than a drug smuggler.

On Tuesday afternoon, a representative from the Australian Consulate-General in Bali attended police headquarters where Mr Smith is being held in custody.

The 49-year-old father was rushed to Bhayangkara Hospital after falling ill with a back injury on Monday, spending a short time in the emergency department.

In bizarre scenes, Crows fan Mr Smith said “go the Power” in reference to the club’s cross-town rivals as he was led from the hospital.