Bali police push for Sara Connor murder charge
David Taylor during a re-enactment of the night he and partner Sara Connor allegedly murdered a Bali police officer. Photo: ABC
Bali police say they will continue to press for a murder charge against Australian woman Sara Connor, as they hand over the first stage of the case against her to prosecutors.
Denpasar district police detective chief Reinhard Habonaran Nainggolan said they would be seeking an extension to the detention of Connor and her British boyfriend David Taylor, which will enable them to hold the pair in police cells for a further 40 days.
This will give prosecutors time to look over the first stage dossier – which was handed to them on Monday.
The “second stage” involves prosecutors accepting the brief and then Ms Connor and Mr Taylor being handed over, along with evidence.
Det Nainggolan said police were pushing for the pair, who have been named suspects in the death of local police officer Wayan Sudarsa, to be charged with murder, assault causing death and manslaughter.
This is despite Ms Connor denying during last week’s re-enactment and earlier interrogations that she did not hit Mr Sudarsa and only sought to separate the pair during the late-night confrontation at Kuta beach almost three weeks ago.
“The evidence has been strong,” he told reporters.
“Even though there is some defence, we still have faith that both suspects (committed it).
Connor is currently facing 15 years in Bali.
“It will be tested in court. Evidence on Sara’s hand and thigh is clear, the bite mark is quite deep that the victim (had caused).
“Normally, it wouldn’t have (existed) if there was no resistance from the victim.”
He said they hope to hand over the pair as early as Tuesday but Chief of General Crime at the District Attorney Office, Ketut Maha Agung labelled that time frame “impossible”.
“Even in an ordinary burglary case, it needs (a detention) extension. Especially now when it is a homicide case,” he told reporters.
More time was needed, he said, adding that next week could be “possible” for the matter to be fully handed over to prosecutors.
Usually in Indonesia a trial follows within a month of the full case being handed over to prosecutors.
-AAP
