MAFS groom Timothy’s dark criminal background revealed: ‘It's something I'm not proud of’

The self-described Tinman hinted at a tortured past, but nobody expected this!

‘Married at First Sight’ groom Timothy Smith revealed he is a convicted drug smuggler who spent time in a US jail on Tuesday night’s ‘A Current Affair’.

The self-described Tinman spent the most recent season of the reality TV show hinting at a tortured past, but nobody would have thought a criminal record and a year behind bars would be part of his story.

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‘Something really stupid’

The 52-year-old real estate tycoon revealed he was living in Vancouver when he used a helicopter to smuggle marijuana from Canada into the US illegally.

“I was a helicopter pilot in North America that did something really stupid,” he told the show, having been paid to take flying lessons for the sole purpose of trafficking.

“It's something I'm not proud of. I'm definitely not proud of it, but it doesn't define who I am, and I'm not the same person I was 17 years ago."

Timothy revealed he would make up to $100,000 per trip and would “Take off from a little unmanned airport and I would fly up a valley into a creek where I would meet a four-wheel drive... within a minute, the helicopter would be loaded.”

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Busted!

Timothy's return from visiting his sick mother in Australia took a dramatic turn when authorities in Los Angeles arrested him. 

Timothy was sentenced for 'trafficking marijuana over an international border' in 2006; however, authorities 'tacked on 4 or 6 months in immigration'. 

While he thought the time spent in prison with hardened criminals would be the toughest part of his jail stay, tragedy struck not once but twice back home.

Timothy's life took a devastating turn halfway through his sentence as he shared the heart-wrenching news of his mother's passing due to cancer, followed by the tragic loss of his brother to suicide mere months later.

Timothy revealed in the interview a conversation he had with his brother during the start of his sentence. 

He emotionally revealed, “‘Don't let anyone mess with you' and' I'll be there when you get out', but he wasn't."

Timothy failed to disclose his shady past as a convicted drug smuggler when applying for the hit reality show and we wonder if this would have impacted this selection on the show.

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Timothy not only lost a year of his life, but his mum and brother at the same time. Source: Nine

Love or a great friendship?

Timothy, who was paired with fan-favourite Lucinda Light found himself in the spotlight towards the end of this season after their relationship hit the rocks following a disastrous homestay in Melbourne. 

The drama reached its peak when the couple decided to call it quits at the commitment ceremony, with Timothy publicly admitting his shortcomings to the show's experts. 

“I didn't go into a homestay with the best attitude,” he revealed, finding the emotional exploration needed to commit to his bride 'uncomfortable' and 'overwhelming'.

The couple, however, is proving that friendship can blossom even after the cameras stop rolling. Despite their romance fizzling out, the duo has been spotted hitting the town together, sparking rumours of a rekindled connection. 

Lucinda couldn't contain her joy, declaring Timothy a "dear friend" and expressing gratitude for their enduring bond. 

“I am mostly not as hard as I was,” Timothy said, thanks to the support of his TV bride, Ludinda.

“There is a lot of emotional things that I've been dealing with and that I've dealt with. It's okay not to be okay and Lou showed me that,” he said..

“She showed me how to just let a few people in. The experiment has been an amazing experience. I've loved every part of it.”

Originally published as MAFS groom Timothy’s dark criminal background revealed: ‘It's something I'm not proud of’