NewsBite

Bali police officer murder: Sara Connor’s Australian ex-husband to visit her as interrogation continues

AUSSIE mum Sara Connor has had her first meeting with her ex-husband at Denpasar police station since she was detained as a suspect on murder charges.

David Taylor led out of Bali prison in cuffs

SARA Connor and her ex-husband Anthony “Twig” Connor have had a tearful first meeting since the Byron Bay mum was detained as a suspect on murder charges.

Mr Connor, also from Byron Bay, was allowed to see his former wife for a brief 15 minutes.

It is the first time Mr Connor has seen her since she was detained by police on August 19.

Sara Connor’s ex-husband Anthony Connor (second frm left) and a friend at Denpasar Police station. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro
Sara Connor’s ex-husband Anthony Connor (second frm left) and a friend at Denpasar Police station. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro

The couple hugged and cried during the short but emotional meeting in the Denpasar police station today.

Connor’s lawyer Robert Khuana said both were in tears during the meeting.

Mr Connor was accompanied to the police station by an Australian Consulate staffer and the lawyers as well as a female friend who had visited Connor over the weekend.

Sara Connor’s ex-husband Anthony Connor and a friend visit Sara in the Denpasar Police station cell. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro
Sara Connor’s ex-husband Anthony Connor and a friend visit Sara in the Denpasar Police station cell. Picture: Lukman S Bintoro

“Mr Connor is sad and crying. I think that’s human, it’s normal,” Mr Khuana said.

Monday is not a designated visiting day at the police cells at Denpasar police station and Mr Connor was allowed only a short visit today. He is expected to return tomorrow.

He was one of the first visitors the 45-year-old has had since she was jailed more than a week ago and named as a suspect in the bashing murder of Bali police officer Wayan Sudarsa.

News Corp Australia understands Mr Connor, a Byron Bay barman who is also the father of the divorced couple’s two boys, is thought to have arrived in Bali on Sunday night.

Sara Connor’s lawyers Robert Khuana (L) and Erwin Siregar (R). Picture: Lukman S Bintoro
Sara Connor’s lawyers Robert Khuana (L) and Erwin Siregar (R). Picture: Lukman S Bintoro

Meanwhile Ms Connor’s co-accused David Taylor was this morning doing an exercise class behind bars.

Taylor, 34, was among a group of prisoners in the Denpasar police station holding cells who this morning took part in a routine exercise class.

The 15-minute program, run by police, is to give prisoners some exercise within the cramped jail compound, where there are currently about 95 prisoners. Taylor wore only board shorts, with no shirt or shoes during the class.

Police take detainees to exercise in the courtyard at Denpasar police station. Picture: Supplied
Police take detainees to exercise in the courtyard at Denpasar police station. Picture: Supplied

Connor, who is held in a different area, was not among those limbering up. The 45-year-old Byron Bay mother is in a holding cell in the upstairs section of the police station, next to a police office. She is alone there.

David Taylor doing some stretches outside. Picture: Supplied
David Taylor doing some stretches outside. Picture: Supplied

Police say they will take Connor and Taylor back to the scene of the crime, on a Kuta beach, to take part in an official reconstruction.

Taylor, 34, is also a murder suspect with police alleging he bashed the officer repeatedly about the head with a beer bottle, the officer’s binoculars and a mobile during the vicious attack.

Crime reconstructions are a normal part of Indonesian police investigations.

After all the evidence has been gathered the suspects are taken to the scene of the crime where they re-enact what happened.

Anthony 'Twig' Connor, former husband of Sara Connor. Picture: Facebook
Anthony 'Twig' Connor, former husband of Sara Connor. Picture: Facebook
Sara Connor inside an interrogation room at Denpasar Police Station. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro
Sara Connor inside an interrogation room at Denpasar Police Station. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

Police officers often play the roles of the deceased and of suspects not yet arrested. Witnesses often play themselves.

The Prosecutors, who will ultimately decide what charges the couple will face, will also be there.

It is expected that Connor and Taylor will be taken to the beach to show what happened on the night that police officer Sudarsa was bashed and then left bleeding to death on the sand.

Each has now given versions of what they say happened during exhaustive hours of police interrogation. But there are differences in the versions of Connor and Taylor and police they will “confront” them with these differences at the reconstruction.

Bali

The reconstruction could be held as early as Monday or Tuesday and will be the first time that Connor and Taylor will be together since their arrest on August 19. Police have deliberately kept them separated since their arrest to avoid collusion before each was interrogated fully.

Connor was visited on the weekend by two women, her first visitors since her arrest. An emotional Connor hugged the women warmly when they saw each other on Saturday evening. The women were allowed into the single cell where Connor is kept, next to a police office in the upstairs section of the Denpasar police station.

Two friends of Sara Connor visit her at Denpasar Police station. Picture: Supplied
Two friends of Sara Connor visit her at Denpasar Police station. Picture: Supplied

Her boyfriend Taylor meanwhile is kept in the station’s jail section, along with other suspects. He was photographed on the weekend shirtless and shoeless in the jail, looking forlorn.

Staff at the Kubu Kauh Beach Inn, where the couple was staying on the night of the police officer’s murder, have told of being asked by police to identify the couple.

David Taylor is escorted by police back to his cell after meeting with British Consulate staff at Denpasar Police Station. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro
David Taylor is escorted by police back to his cell after meeting with British Consulate staff at Denpasar Police Station. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro

Nita, the daughter-in-law of the family which owns the hotel, said that late last week she was asked by police to identify both Connor and Taylor.

She identified both as being the couple staying in room three where police later allegedly found blood.

Nita patted Taylor on the shoulder, telling him to be patient. Taylor smiled and thanked her for good wishes. Connor however said nothing to the young woman.

Nita told News Corp Australia that when the couple checked out of their hotel, only hours after the beach murder death, the couple had not appeared nervous.

“He (David) said thank you and said he was happy staying there. He said that he will stay here again next time he holidays in Bali” Nita remembers.

Both Taylor and Connor are suspects on charges of murder, assault, battery which carry a maximum 15 year jail term.

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/bali-police-officer-murder-sara-connors-australian-exhusband-to-visit-her-as-interrogation-continues/news-story/cc106bde62c6b0d3087abfa5954c420d