Sean Millar: Subiaco man narrowly avoids life imprisonment in Bali after trafficking charge dropped
A Subiaco man has narrowly avoided spending the rest of his life behind bars after Bali prosecutors dropped drug trafficking charges — but he could still face two years in prison.
A Subiaco man has narrowly avoided spending the rest of his life behind bars after Bali prosecutors dropped drug trafficking charges — but he could still face two years in prison.
WA’s Sean Millar fronted a Bali court on Thursday after being arrested for multiple drug charges in early April.
His West Denpasar guest home had been raided by police on April 5, with law enforcement allegedly discovering 600mg of methamphetamine as well as a glass pipe and a bong.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The 50-year-old Sandgroper had initially been charged with several offences after the raid, including drug trafficking which carries a potential life sentence.
However, prosecutors on Thursday dropped the trafficking charge.
The prosecution instead urged the Bali court to convict the West Aussie of personal drug use and sentence him to two years imprisonment instead.
“The defendant shows polite behaviour during the trial and has admitted his act,” the prosecution said according to the Daily Mail.
Millar had admitted to using illicit substances at his West Denpasar property but has repeatedly denied any involvement in drug trafficking.
At an earlier court hearing in April, the West Aussie told local reporters to “stay away from drugs”.
Millar’s defence lawyer Katharina Nutz told the court that she was grateful for the trafficking charges to be dropped but wanted a shorter sentence for her client.
“We see him as a victim — people who use drugs are not criminals — but we do understand there is a big push for the war against drugs here in Indonesia,” Ms Nutz told the court.
“He is disappointed because he expects rehab, it’s what he needs — especially because the reason he uses drugs is something terrible happened in his life, the death of his daughter.”
The defence said Indonesia was moving towards better drug laws and she hoped Millar’s case was “something that we can learn from”.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has previously confirmed to PerthNow that they were aware of the charges and offering assistance.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Indonesia,” a spokesperson said.
Millar’s next hearing will take place next week.
Originally published on PerthNow
