Sara Connor expected to be charged over death of Bali policeman

Byron Bay mother Sara Connor is expected to be charged in Bali today with conspiracy to commit manslaughter.

Byron Bay mother of two Sara Connor has arrived at Denpasar court where she is expected to be charged with conspiracy to commit manslaughter over the death of a Bali traffic policeman.

Ms Connor, 45, tried to hide her face behind a fan as she was led, handcuffed to her British DJ boyfriend

David Taylor around 1230pm (AEST 1530) today, from the prison bus to a holding cell behind the court.

Ms Connor says she doesn’t deserve to face manslaughter charges.

Both were wearing orange prison waistcoats around and were led along with about a dozen fellow prisoners.

The couple are expected to appear one after the other before a panel of three judges at the Denpasar District court, following three months in custody in the Indonesian resort town of Bali.

Both Ms Connor and Mr Taylor, 34, spent several hours with their lawyers yesterday who explained the charges to them.

A day before the trial Ms Connor told her lawyers she was innocent and didn’t deserve to face manslaughter charges.

But Prosecutors have said they intend to charge the two suspects equally with responsibility for the death of Wayan Sudarsa, 53, despite both Connor and Taylor insisting she played no part in the deadly fight which occurred on a Kuta beach in early hours of August 17.

The two will face separate trials but both will be charged with conspiracy to commit manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of fifteen years prison, as well as a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit assault leading to death - a charge which could lead to a 12-year prison sentence.

Byron bay mother of two Sara Connor appears in court for first day of her trial for manslaughter of a Bali cop pic.twitter.com/vAcieHIcUk

— amanda hodge (@hodgeamanda) November 9, 2016

A third charge of conspiracy to commit assault leading to death carries a maximum seven years jail.

The Bali policeman’s battered body was found on a Kuta Beach early on August 17. Police say he died of a severe blow to the head. He has left behind a wife and two adult sons who this week rejected Mr Taylor’s written plea for forgiveness.

Mr Taylor has admitted bashing Mr Sudarsa with a beer bottle and binoculars after accusing him of stealing Connor’s hand bag, though has not admitted to killing the Bali traffic cop.

But Ms Connor has told police she had no involvement in the fatal fight and tried to separate the two men before leaving the scene to report her stolen hand bag at the local police station.

Ms Connor’s lawyers have said Mr Taylor will appear as a star witness at her trial in the hope his testimony can clear her name.

But The Australian understands prosecutors believe they have a strong case against both suspects and will seek to prove Mr Taylor and Ms Connor committed certain acts which resulted in the victim’s death.

Police say Ms Connor was bitten on the thigh and right hand during the fight.

A re-enactment of the crime staged in late August showed her participating in the scuffle, though her lawyers have since said she was asked to re-enact events that did not happen.

Prosecutors are expected to point to the couple’s efforts to cover up the crime by burning the clothes they were wearing red on the night and disposing of Mr Sudarsa’s wallet and mobile phone.

Bali lawyer Erwin Siregar told The Australian yesterday: “For us the case is no more than an accessory to a crime and that is a petty offence.

“Even if she is found guilty the sentence should be no more than nine or ten months.”