Bali cop murder: Sara Connor denies she was sick before being detained

BYRON BAY woman Sara Connor has told a Bali court she was ‘scared’ and ‘horrified’ in the hours before she was detained over the murder of a police officer.

BYRON BAY woman Sara Connor says she was scared, horrified and shocked in the hours before she was detained for the murder of a police officer.

The 46-year-old was responding to evidence against her in court about the day she was detained and locked up.

A man who had rented a motorbike to her British boyfriend David Taylor testified at Connor’s trial on Tuesday that Connor appeared to be sick and holding her stomach when the motorbike rental was being discussed.

But asked to respond to the evidence, Connor told the court: “I wasn’t sick, I was so scared and horrified and shocked. I wasn’t sick, I was shocked.”

Nengah Astika, who runs a motorbike rental shop in Jimbaran, was testifying about the day, August 19, that Taylor and Connor came to his shop to rent a bike.

This was two days after police officer Wayan Sudarsa was murdered on a Kuta beach.

The murder trial of Byron Bay woman Sara Connor and her British boyfriend David Taylor continues. They are accused of killing a police officer. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

He said that Taylor had some bruises and a cut to his arm and knee and Connor was holding her stomach.

“I concluded that she (Connor) had a problem with her stomach. Her face was pale,” Mr Astika told the court.

“I met her for only 30 minutes. She was scruffy at that time, different to now,” he said, referring to Connor’s appearance in court.

But, asked in the Denpasar District Court her response to Mr Astika’s evidence, Connor revealed that she had not been sick that day but was scared and horrified and shocked.

Sara Connor has told a Bali court she was “scared, horrified” and “shocked” when a motorbike rental was being discussed. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

This was only hours before Connor and Taylor handed themselves in at the Australian Consulate in Denpasar.

Taylor, who was not an Australian citizen was waiting outside and was arrested by police who had been stationed there.

Connor had gone in and was then taken to the police station by Consulate staff.

Then prosecution yesterday summoned nine witnesses to testify at Connor’s trial but in the end only three turned up — Mr Astika, a police investigator and another man who rented a surfboard and motorbike to Taylor before the police officer was murdered.

Taylor had been staying at the Kubu Kauh Beach Inn in Kuta for a week before Connor’s arrival in Bali.

The couple stayed there on the night of the murder and then checked out the next day and moved to Jimbaran to another homestay.

The body of police officer Wayan Sudarsa was found on a Kuta beach in the early hours of August 17. Later that day the couple checked out of their nearby accommodation.

But Connor told the court they had always intended to check out that day.

“We checked out at 12 0’clock because the week that David booked ended that day,” Connor told the Judges in her trial.

“We put the luggage at reception and we used the motorbike all day and we brought it back around 7.30pm to 8’o’clock,” she said.

The Kubu Kauh owner’s father had died that day and there was a lot of people. Connor said.

Connor’s trial was adjourned to December 13 for more prosecution witnesses.

Sara Connor before today's court appearance in Denpasar. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

The trial of her boyfriend, David Taylor, will resume on Thursday.

The couple are being tried separately.

Both are charged with the joint murder of the police officer, and with violence causing death and assault causing death. The murder charge carries a maximum 15-year sentence.

Connor yesterday again repeated what she has said at every single court appearance so far: “I am innocent.”

Connor maintains that she played no role in the fight which ended the officer’s life and that she had tried to separate her boyfriend and officer Sudarsa, who were fighting on the beach.

The fight was allegedly sparked by Taylor accusing the officer of stealing Connor’s handbag on the beach that night.

Taylor admits fighting with the officer and has apologised to his widow for his actions but maintains it was in self-defence and that he did not intend to kill.