Help me: Drug accused
‘‘ IF I HAD NOT (BEEN CAUGHT), IT IS LIKELY I WOULD HAVE ENDED UP DEAD. ISAAC ROBERTS
TOOWOOMBA accountant Isaac Roberts sobbed in a Bali courtroom as he told of the weekend drug-related death of his partner of two years.
And he has told the judges that if he had not been caught and locked up on drugs charges in Bali he may well have ended up dead. He begged the court to help him.
The 35-year-old man was appearing in Denpasar District Court on the penultimate day of his drugs trial after being arrested in December last year attempting to bring 20.54 grams of methamphetamine and ecstasy into Bali.
Prosecutors have recommended that he be jailed for one year and three months and treated as a drug user.
On Wednesday night as his lawyers made a plea for him not to be jailed but to remain in drug rehabilitation, Mr Roberts was asked if he wanted to make a statement to the court.
He broke down in tears as he told of the tragic death of his partner of two years, Donwill Lloyd Lim. Mr Lloyd had been in a private rehabilitation centre in Bali with Mr Roberts for the past few months, also drying out, but had to leave last week to do a visa run.
“He met an American drug dealer in Kuala Lumpur and relapsed. They injected shabu (ice) together and Lloyd had a stroke,” he said.
“I don’t want this to happen to my family. Please help me.”
Mr Roberts then told the court there was a “silver lining” to his arrest.
“If I had not (been caught), it is likely I would have ended up dead at some point. I am grateful that I have not been exposed to drugs during this process and for the opportunity to undertake rehabilitation while justice takes its course,” he said.
Mr Roberts, formerly from Toowoomba, was an awardwinning student who went on to become an accountant advising high-wealth clients.
But his life began spiralling out of control when he started taking drugs. It was only after his arrest, when the prosecution and court agreed for him to enter a private rehabilitation centre, that he became free of his heavy ice addiction.
His lawyers are asking the court that he be allowed to remain in rehabilitation and serve any sentence there, not in Kerobokan jail.
Mr Roberts’ verdict will be handed down next week.