Olympic hero caught with £1.2m of meth in candles had ‘post-elite competition depression’
Disgraced Australian Olympian Scott Miller has blamed his descent into supplying meth on ‘post elite competition depression’.
The former Olympic hero, 47, was arrested at his home in Rozelle, Sydney, in February last year following a police investigation into the supply of $2million (£1.2m) – or 4kg – of the drug. Footage taken at the time captured him shirtless and slumped in a chair as police searched the property.
Miller faced a sentencing hearing in Sydney on Wednesday, having pleaded guilty to his role in an attempt to smuggle meth across New South Wales. His lawyer Greg Goold explained to the court that a psychiatric report was being prepared detailing ‘substantial issues’ regarding the former athlete’s state of mind since leaving elite sport.
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Mr Goold explained the additional charges had delayed the preparation of the report, which would include post-elite competition depression and drug abuse disorder.
Miller won silver and bronze medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics as a specialist in the men’s 100m butterfly.
(Image: AAP)
He remains in prison on New South Wales’ Mid North Coast after pleading guilty to the initial charges in March, which included two counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with proper proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity.
Miller admitted to driving a bag, which held eight candles containing meth, around 280km from Sydney to Yass. The bag and vehicle were then handed off to another man with the alleged intention of transporting them to Victoria, but the drugs were ditched more than 200km further south after a high-speed pursuit with highway patrol officers.
(Image: NSW Police Force)
(Image: NSW Police Force)
He was hit with six charges while awaiting his sentence behind bars. Those included manufacturing or producing a prohibited drug, supplying a prohibited drug, two counts of conspire to commit an offence, knowingly direct activities of a criminal group and knowingly take part in manufacturing or producing a prohibited drug.
However after representations by Mr Goold, Miller’s role in directing a criminal group was downgraded to participating in the drug syndicate, to which he also pleaded guilty.
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