Laiq Hussain Turi blames drug usage on life trauma from Taliban in Pakistan

A man who had a traumatic life after witnessing several truck drivers get “executed” in Pakistan has gone into a downward spiral of drug possession.

Laiq Turi pleaded guilty at the Shepparton Magistrates' Court on Monday afternoon.

A man had meth in his possession and drove without a licence because of trauma from his life in Taliban-controlled Pakistan.

Laiq Hussain Turi, 40, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and methamphetamine and driving with a disqualified licence at the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Police pulled over the blue Holden Commodore vehicle Turi was driving on Benalla Rd in Shepparton just after 1am on August 5 last year.

They discovered Turi’s licence was disqualified and there was a “strong smell of cannabis” coming from the car.

Police then searched the 40-year-old’s vehicle and found a ziplock bag containing more than 15g of cannabis in his pocket, a large plastic bag containing cannabis weighing more than 300g and scales.

The court heard Turi was arrested and interviewed by police, who made full admissions to the offences.

He told police he had recently smoked cannabis and had drugs on him, and told them the reason was to just “smoke” it.

About 4am the same day, police returned to Turi’s car for a further search and found methamphetamine inside.

The 40-year-old also told police he got the large bag of cannabis from his brother and bought the smaller ziplock bag of cannabis from a dealer.

Turi said he spent $600 on “ice” in Shepparton and spent an extra $150 on cannabis in Mooroopna.

He also admitted to smoking cannabis the night before he was pulled over and smoked the methamphetamine “two or three days” earlier.

The court heard Turi previously appeared at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court in May last year for failing a drug test in 2020.

Turi’s lawyer Cameron Gauld told the court the 40-year-old from Pakistan arrived in Australia in 2010 and was a truck driver until he was 27.

The court heard in the years of 2009 and 2010, the Taliban had attacked the Pakistan border, where he was living with his family.

He said Turi was trapped for two or three days and witnessed several truck drivers get “executed” in front of him and said Turi’s brother-in-law was also killed during the invasion.

Mr Gauld said it took a year for Turi to be let into Australia.

Mr Gauld also told the court Turi was stabbed and seriously injured in Craigieburn in 2014, where he sustained life-threatening injuries.

He said Turi was unable to work from 2014 until 2017 due to the injuries and smoking cigarettes turned into “smoking cannabis”.

“It started to take over his life in 2019 and 2020,” Mr Gauld told the court.

The court heard Turi’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer back in Pakistan and eventually passed away.

Mr Gauld said all of these things had culminated with Turi’s mental health deteriorating.

“He has basically hit rock bottom,” Mr Gauld said.

Magistrate Victoria Campbell said she understood Turi’s difficult circumstances.

“I think this man has suffered a lot of grief in his life,” Ms Campbell said.

“It’s no wonder this man is mentally ill.”

Turi will be assessed for a community corrections order and was released on bail until later this month.