Bali cop murder: taxi driver refused to take Sara Connor due to blood stains

A BALI taxi driver has told a court why he refused to take Sara Connor on his motorbike during the murder trial of her British boyfriend, David Taylor.

A BALI motorbike taxi driver has told of refusing to take Byron Bay woman Sara Connor on his bike on the night a police officer was murdered because she had blood on her and he was afraid of blood.

His fear stemmed from a near escape in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings.

Gede Suartama was one of five witnesses who yesterday testified at the trial of British man David Taylor in the Denpasar District Court.

Taylor, 34, and his 46-year-old girlfriend Sara Connor are accused of together murdering Bali police officer Wayan Sudarsa, whose battered body, with more than 40 wounds, was found on a Kuta beach in the early hours of August 17.

Taylor’s trial resumed on Wednesday and of the eight witnesses called by the prosecution to testify, five turned up to court.

Connor, a Byron Bay businesswoman and mum of two boys, maintains that she played no role in the bashing and that she had tried to separate her boyfriend and the officer as they fought that night on the beach.

Again, for the third time crucial prosecution witness, the Pullman Hotel security guard Suryana, failed to show up.

David Taylor talks to his lawyer team from behind the bars of Denpasar District Court cell before the trial. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

It was Suryana, who for 15 minutes, watched the fight between Taylor, Connor and the police officer.

But believing it was a bit of fun, he left and did not intervene.

News Corporation understands that Suryana has since left Bali and returned to his village in West Java and police will need to make extra effort to get him to court.

Motorbike taxi driver, known as an ojek driver, Gede Suartama, testified about the night of the police officer’s murder.

He said that he was riding by the beach at Kuta when Connor stopped him, asking for a lift. But she was bloody and he was scared of blood and refused to take her.

Byron Bay woman Sara Connor will face trial on Thursday. Picture: AFP

“I was riding motorcycle. She stopped me. She told me to bring her to the police. She said she will report her bag and driver’s licence stolen,” Mr Suartama told the court.

He said that at the time he remembered seeing Taylor searching around with a flashlight.

During the trial Suartama was shown photographs of Taylor at the time of his arrest, in which he had long dreadlocked hair and he identified him as the person he saw at the beach that night. Before his trial Taylor cut his long dreadlocks and now has short hair.

Mr Suartama said both Taylor and Connor had blood on their shirts that night. But he did not look closer, saying he felt scared.

“I thought she had fallen down,” he said when asked what he thought upon seeing blood on Connor. “She looked confused, like panic, and wanted to report to police.”

Asked why he didn’t then help her, Mr Suartama said: “Because I was scared.”

Outside court he told News Corporation that he had been scared of blood since the 2002 Bali bombing in which he nearly died.

Another witness, Zaenal Rakhi el Faqih also testified about seeing Taylor on the beach that night in the vicinity of the murder scene.

David Taylor arrives at Denpasar District Court, where he faces a murder charge. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

He and his friend stopped at the beach to urinate about 1.45am when they saw Taylor.

He said he saw blood on Taylor and that he thought they were drunk and had been fighting.

Taylor was asked if he had any objections to the two witnesses evidence and he said he did not.

Several other witnesses also testified, including the owner of the Kubu Kauh Beach Inn, where Taylor and Connor stayed on the night of the murder and two men who had rented motorbikes to Taylor.

Connor’s trial resumes on Thursday when, for the first time, prosecution witnesses will be called to testify against her.

The witnesses are expected to include the chief police investigator along with the security guards from the Pullman Hotel. But again it is tipped that Suryana the main witness, will not show up.

Originally published as Bali cop murder: taxi driver refused to take Sara Connor due to blood stains