British DJ found guilty of killing Bali policeman
A BRITISH DJ has been found guilty of the murder of a Bali police officer and sentenced to six years in jail, while his Australian girlfriend faces four years.
David Taylor, 35, from Halifax, and Sara Connor, 46, have been on trial in the Indonesian holiday resort for the past seven months after a fight with policeman Wayan Sudarsa led to his violent death.
The court was told how the couple were enjoying an intimate moment at the water’s edge on the night of Aug 16 last year when they realised that Ms Connor’s handbag was missing and separated to search for it.
Taylor said he approached the policeman, believing that he may have stolen the bag, and the encounter ended up in a brawl. Su- darsa, a father of two, was later found dead on Kuta beach, with 42 wounds to his body, including more than a dozen to his head and neck.
Taylor and Connor always insisted that they were acting in self-defence. Taylor admitted in court to hitting Sudarsa with a beer bottle and the officer’s binoculars, but denied killing him. He claimed he lashed out because he was afraid for his life. “I had a feeling I was going to die,” he told the Denpasar district court in January.
He also insisted the police officer was still breathing when he left him on the beach and has told of his deep regret at his death.
Connor, a mother of two, has always insisted she tried to separate the men when they fought, and fled out of fear. But the judges ruled that she had effectively pinned the officer down.
Taylor, who used to perform as DJ Nutzo, will remain in Bali’s Kerobokan prison, with seven months deducted for time served. He will not appeal. “I accept the charge, thank you,” he said after the verdict was read out.