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Home / World

New twist in Bali murder probe as Sara Connor and David Taylor are still being interrogated

By Cindy Wockner and Komang Erviani
news.com.au·
24 Aug, 2016 07:10 PM5 mins to read

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Police allege David Taylor and his girlfriend set fire to the bloody clothes they were wearing on the night of their altercation with the policeman. Photo / Facebook

Police allege David Taylor and his girlfriend set fire to the bloody clothes they were wearing on the night of their altercation with the policeman. Photo / Facebook

Police in Bali now claim they have found the spot where Australian woman Sara Connor and her British boyfriend allegedly burned their bloody clothes in the aftermath of the death of a police officer on a Bali beach.

And the personal belongings of the slain police officer, Wayan Sudarsa, including his cut up identity and police cards and wallet, have been found dumped by a road.

But his mobile phone, which police say was also taken, has yet to be found.

And Connor's lawyer Erwin Siregar has called for police to further investigate claims from his client that before the incident she saw two or three other people near the scene and the fact that the 3 million Rupiah ($300) in her handbag is still missing.

Denpasar Police chief Hadi Purnomo yesterday released images of the charred spot, in a housing complex in Jimbaran, where it is alleged that Connor and her boyfriend David Taylor, who lived in New Zealand for a period of time, set fire to the bloody clothes they were wearing on the night of their altercation with the policeman.

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He claimed that Taylor had led them to the area last night.

Police will allege the couple had burned their clothes several days after the death of the police officer and before handing themselves into police.

Indonesian police officers escort murder suspect David Taylor. Photo / AP
Indonesian police officers escort murder suspect David Taylor. Photo / AP

Mr Purnomo said the charred remains of burnt fabric and buttons were found at the site.

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The missing identity cards of the officer and his wallet, which police allege was taken from his motionless body by Connor as he lay on the Bali beach, were found on Tuesday afternoon by the side of the street, about 16km from the hotel where Connor and Taylor were holed up after the officer's death.

A brown wallet, the Indonesian identity card or KTP, motorbike licence, police member card, tax card, driver's licence, gun card and police insignia rank were found inside a white plastic bag wrapped in another red plastic in Pecatu, near a mini mart.

The cards had been cut in half. Mr Purnomo alleged it was Connor's idea to cut the cards up and that Connor had done the cutting herself.

The policeman's mobile phone case was found but the phone was not there and police are still searching for it. It is believed to have been disposed of in the same area.

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Connor, a mum of two from Byron Bay, and Taylor are currently detained as suspects in the policeman's brutal bashing murder on a Kuta beach one week ago.

Since they were detained last Friday the couple has been separated at Denpasar police station and not allowed to speak to each other in a bid to avoid collusion.

"They are still separated. They were purposefully separated. So that in their statements there will be no agreement between both of them. We have heard their real (stories) now. Later we will confront them with each other," Mr Purnomo said.

He said that after all the evidence was gathered the couple would be taken back to Kuta Beach to conduct a reconstruction of the alleged crime - a normal part of Indonesian police investigations.

Mr Purnomo says that police are optimistic of completing a brief of evidence against them within 20 days.

Sara Connor is being held over the alleged murder of a police officer in Bali. Photo / Facebook
Sara Connor is being held over the alleged murder of a police officer in Bali. Photo / Facebook

Police allege that Connor took the officer's wallet and mobile phone as he lay bleeding on the beach and that the cards were cut up before it was dumped. Police also allege that it was Connor's idea to burn the bloody clothes the couple was wearing on the night of the killing, after receiving a phone call from a friend in Australia two days after the killing, telling her she was on the news and wanted.

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But Connor's lawyer Mr Siregar said that during her police interrogation Connor had told police she saw two or three other people near the scene before the incident and he has now called on police to investigate if more suspects are involved.

And he said the doctor who conducted the post mortem had concluded that several people were involved in the attack.

Mr Siregar said several meant more than two.

However last night Dr Dudut Rustyadi, who did the autopsy, said he had not mentioned the exact number of perpetrators he thought were involved.

Connor, 45 and Taylor, 33, remain in custody at Denpasar police station, named as suspects in the officer's murder, assault and battery. Connor is also being held as a suspect on accomplice charges. The charges for which they are suspected carry a maximum 15 years in jail.

Indonesian police officers escort murder suspect David Taylor. Photo / AP
Indonesian police officers escort murder suspect David Taylor. Photo / AP

Police allege that Taylor has admitted, under questioning, to repeatedly smashing a beer bottle into the officer's head until the bottle broke. He is also alleged to have hit the officer with a mobile phone and the officer's own binoculars.

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It is further alleged that the motive for the attack was a belief that the policeman had stolen Connor's handbag while the couple kissed and cuddled at the water's edge that night. Taylor is alleged to have accused the officer of being a fake policeman.

Lawyers for Connor say that she was not involved in the murder and that when they left the scene Taylor told her the man was passed out unconscious but not dead.

It comes as a planned press conference, with Taylor's ex-husband, Anthony "Twig" Connor, due to be held today, was cancelled, after the family was "advised by the Australian Government not to hold the conference".

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