Sara Connor and her boyfriend David Taylor face their fate over the death of a Bali policeman
SARA Connor’s family have told of how the verdict has taken a toll on them, after she was jailed for four years for the killing of a Bali police officer.
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SARA Connor has been jailed for four years for her role in the killing of a Bali police officer on a Kuta beach and her British DJ boyfriend, David James Taylor, sentenced to six years.
With time already served and remissions of several months each year for good behaviour Connor could be free in less than three years.
However, if prosecutors appeal, which they are expected to do because the sentence is less than two-thirds of the eight years they had demanded, she faces the prospect of a different conviction and longer sentence.
Her boyfriend accepted his sentence and says he will not appeal.
Prosecutors said they will advise on appeals after consulting their bosses.
Three judges in the Denpasar District Court found the Byron Bay mum and businesswoman legally and convincingly guilty of group violence causing the death of Bali police officer Wayan Sudarsa in the early hours of August 17.
#DavidTaylor embraces his parents after beimg jailed for 6 yrs for killing Bali police officer #Bali pic.twitter.com/muLZwIb17i
— Cindy Wockner (@CindyWockner) March 13, 2017
Taylor was convicted of the same offence but given a heavier sentence given his larger role in the killing. The sentences were less than the prosecutors had demanded and much less than the 15-year maximum for murder.
The judges found murder not proven. But in jailing Connor, the judges rejected a key plank of her defence - that her only role was in separating her boyfriend and the officer from fighting on the beach. They found that she had sat on the victim, not to separate them but to pin the officer down while Taylor assaulted him.
This constituted group violence under the law.
RELATED: Connor’s and Taylor’s jailhouse kiss
The judges found that Connor’s actions, in cutting up and disposing of the officers ID cards after they left him on the beach that night was to conceal her guilt and not, as she claimed, to protect his identity or report him to police.
Her crime was exacerbated by the fact that the victim was a serving police officer, in uniform, when he was violently attacked and killed, the judges concluded.
Connor’s actions had left a deep wound for the victim’s wife and two children.
In mitigation, the judges said that Connor was polite during the trial, had no criminal record, was a mother of two small children who needed her as she has separated from her husband, and that she had apologised to the victim’s family and offered them $2500 in compensation.
Connor stood stoically and stony-faced as the sentence was delivered. There were no tears.
Since the prosecutors had demanded eight years several weeks ago she seemed resigned to her fate and by the time she entered court she was already aware that her boyfriend had
been sentenced to six years.
Last night, Connor’s family and friends issued a statement, telling of their devastation at the verdict which had dashed their hopes of her being exonerated and freed.
“We, the family and friends of Sara Connor are devastated by the verdict.
“She has pleaded her innocence from the very beginning and we had been hoping that she would have been acquitted of all charges.
“The whole trial has been traumatic for the family especially Sara’s two boys. At least we have certainty now. We would appreciate that the media respect the privacy of the family at this time.”
REVEALED: Sara Connor’s fears for her children’s future
The victim’s widow, Ketut Arsini, was not at court to hear the verdict.
But she later News Corporation that she was disappointed the pair was not convicted of murder.
“Deep in my heart, as what they have done caused my husband to die, they should be punished in accordance with their act,” Ms Arsini said.
“Bapak (husband) has died because of them, so at least they should get a worthy punishment, maybe the death sentence.
“A family needs a father, mother and children. But now the father has died. It is very hard for us, not only economically but we have lost his love,” she said.
Sara Connor's friemd Ambra brings supplies to her in the Denpasar Court holding cell ahead of verdict #Bali pic.twitter.com/JDwPVrauFh
— Cindy Wockner (@CindyWockner) March 13, 2017
He often visited her in her dreams, Ms Arsini said, and was watching over them.
Connor was supported at court by her brother, David Pistidda, from Italy along with her longtime childhood friend Ambra Bertoldi, who has been with her almost every day since her arrest.
Taylor’s parents, John and Janet from the UK, were in court for their son’s verdict and later issued a tearful apology to the victim’s family.
“We are immensely saddened and our hearts go out to the widow of police officer Wayan Sudarsa and his family to whom we extend our deepest condolences,” Mr Taylor, a religious Minister, said in front of the holding cells.
“However, we do believe that our son David feared for his own life that night and his actions reflect that ... we are content with the sentence.”
He broke down as he described being indebted to the many people who had supported them and stood by them and the dear friends in Bali who will continue to support their son.
Neither Connor nor Taylor made any public comment after court as they were led to prison vans to be escorted back to Kerobokan prison, where they are expected to serve their sentences.
After his verdict, Taylor told the judges: “I accept the charge (sentence). Thank you.”
And his lawyer, Haposan Sihombing, said they would accept the verdict and not lodge an appeal, which can be a double-edged sword as Indonesian appeal courts can increase sentences on appeal or reinstate the original murder charge.
In Taylor’s case, the verdict was a good result — he had admitted bashing officer Sudarsa with a beer bottle, the officer’s own binoculars, a mobile phone and his fists during a fight.
David Taylor comforted by his parents in the court holding cell ahead og his verdict today #Bali pic.twitter.com/Q13GTQvjj5
— Cindy Wockner (@CindyWockner) March 13, 2017
Taylor had maintained his actions were self-defence and that at one stage he had feared for his life for the fight which began after Taylor accused the officer of stealing Connor’s handbag from the beach that night and of being a fake cop.
Officer Sudarsa, 53, died of blunt force trauma to the head and doctors told the court that he probably lived for two hours after the attack and may have survived if he had been taken to hospital.
The prosecutors now have seven days in which to lodge an intention to appeal in both cases.
Originally published as Sara Connor and her boyfriend David Taylor face their fate over the death of a Bali policeman
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