Boyfriend of Australian woman admits to hitting slain Bali policeman: lawyer
The boyfriend of Australian woman, Sara Connor, has reportedly confessed to hitting a Balinese policeman in the head with binoculars during a struggle on Kuta beach, his lawyer said.
News South Wales woman Sara Connor, and her British boyfriend, David Taylor, have been charged over the death of a Balinese traffic officer.
British man David James Taylor has reportedly confessed to hitting a Balinese policeman in the head with binoculars. Photo: AAP
Officer Wayan Sudarsa's battered body was found in the early hours last Wednesday on Kuta beach, a popular tourist spot in southern Bali.
Mr Taylor and Ms Connor were arrested two days later.
They were named suspects over the weekend, a step in the Indonesian legal system that means authorities believe they have enough evidence to consider filing charges, and could face up to 15 years in jail if found guilty of murder.
Sara Connor (left) pictured with her British boyfriend David Taylor (right).
The 35-year-old Briton claimed he was pushed by Mr Sudarsa, which led to the struggle and said he hit him after Ms Connor pulled at the officer in a bid to break up the fight, the lawyer said.
The couple have so far given often contradictory and confusing accounts about last week's events, but before police questioning Monday Mr Taylor's legal team promised he would tell "the honest story".
Speaking before Ms Connor’s interrogation at Denpasar Police Station earlier on Monday, her lawyer Erwin Siregar said she was “not involved in this case, not at all. She’s innocent”.
British man David Taylor being taken from his holding cell at Denpasar police station, in Bali. Photo: AAP
Sihombing, said his client had told him Ms Connor had said a "bad cop" had pushed her and lay on top of her on the sand.
But Sihombing said Ms Connor lost her bag on the beach, and Mr Taylor approached Mr Sudarsa on the beach to ask if he had seen it.
"After that, the police officer pushed him, kept pushing him," the lawyer said, adding that they then began wrestling on the beach.
As the fight played out, Ms Connor pulled at the policeman from behind in an attempt to separate them and Mr Taylor spotted binoculars around Mr Sudarsa's neck, said Sihombing.
The 35-year-old Briton claimed he was pushed by Mr Sudarsa, which led to the struggle Photo: AFP
"He saw a pair of binoculars on the victim's neck - those were the binoculars that David used to hit the head of the victim twice," the lawyer said.
During separate questioning, Ms Connor claimed she saw Mr Sudarsa lying face-down on the beach and when she approached to ask whether he had seen her bag, the victim bit her on the leg, according to lawyer Erwin Siregar.
He said that she maintained her innocence.
Bali, a pocket of Hinduism in Muslim-majority Indonesia, is a popular tourist destination known for its tropical climate and palm-fringed beaches.
Petty crime is common but murders are rare.
