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Sara Connor handed more jail time over death of Bali policeman

Sara Connor has denied any responsibility for the killing of police officer Wayan Sudarsa.

Sara Connor has denied any responsibility for the killing of police officer Wayan Sudarsa. Photo: AP

Australian mother-of-two Sara Connor has had her sentence increased to five years with Bali’s High Court finding she has “injured” the image of the Indonesian island.

The court’s three judges upped Connor’s jail term by one year on Monday, finding that Connor’s initial four-year sentence was “too light” over the death of police officer Wayan Sudarsa in August 2016.

Backing the appeal by the prosecution, the judges criticised the 46-year-old for not making “any effort” to help Mr Sudarsa after be became embroiled in a fatal struggle with her British boyfriend David Taylor on Kuta Beach.

“The judges in appeal level have considered incriminating factors which have not been considered by judges in first level court (in their March decision),” Judge Sudharmawatiningsih said.

“The defendant left behind the victim and did not make any effort to help the victim even though she knew the victim was still laying facing down.

“The defendant has also injured Indonesia’s tourism image, especially Bali’s tourism image.”

When Connor was sentenced in March, her friends and family described being “devastated” by the decision.

Within days, Connor’s fears were realised when prosecutors announced they would be challenging the decision, arguing the term was “unfair” and did not act as a deterrent.

Concerned any challenge on her part would see the sentence increased further, Connor’s then legal team announced she would not be launching an appeal.

She was not in court on Monday to hear the Bali court’s decision.

Taylor – who was sentenced to six years for his role in the fatal assault in company – became embroiled in a fight with Mr Sudarsa after confronting him over Connor’s lost purse on Kuta Beach, which contained about $A300.

While Connor maintains she did nothing but try to separate Mr Sudarsa and Taylor during the melee, following her trial Chief Judge Made Pasek found in March she effectively pinned him down.

Mr Sudarsa’s bloodied body was discovered in the early hours of August 17, having suffered dozens of wounds.

Both Connor and Taylor’s trial heard evidence that it likely took Mr Sudarsa hours to die and that had someone intervened, the police officer’s life may have been saved.

The pair later destroyed personal items belonging to Mr Sudarsa and burned the clothes they were wearing on the night of the assault.

The sentence includes time already served and does not take into account remissions for good behaviour.

Connor may choose to launch a further appeal to the Supreme Court.

The prosecutor in Connor’s case, Agung Jayalantara, said he would wait for a copy of the judgment before making comment.

“I want to see the appeal judge’s consideration first,” he told AAP.

Sydney barrister, Peter Strain, who assisted Connor during her trial, declined to comment on Monday’s decision.

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