Australian woman welcomes British man’s version of events and tells reporters she was not aware Indonesian man was seriously injured in altercation

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Australian woman Sara Connor says the testimony of her British boyfriend confirms the “truth” of what she always said happened the night they allegedly killed a Bali police officer.



“I can’t wait for this (the case) to finish now,” she said, adding that she hoped to go back to her two sons soon.



Taylor, 35, and Connor, 46, appeared to make no eye contact after he was sworn in ahead at the trial at Denpasar court on Tuesday.



The couple, who are being held at Kerobokan prison, face charges of murder, fatal assault in company and assault causing death, with prosecutors alleging they attacked Bali police officer Wayan Sudarsa on the night of 16 August and left his dead body on Kuta beach.



Taylor told the court he and Connor were friends before becoming an item in April last year.



The night Connor, from Byron Bay in New South Wales, arrived in Bali on 16 August they watched the sunset on Kuta beach and went to dinner, he said.



They later returned and “relaxed” near the water’s edge for a number of hours before noticing Connor’s bag was missing.



Taylor told the court he had become suspicious of Sudarsa, who had been milling about, and questioned him about the bag.



He said Sudarsa told him he was a police officer and allegedly laughed when Taylor asked for help.



“I thought, ‘This man could’ve done something’. Then I searched him, his pocket, under his jacket and his trouser pocket,” Taylor said through an interpreter.



Sudarsa struck out at him, Taylor said, and the pair “wrestled” before Connor came over and tried to separate them.

At one point, Taylor said Connor was “screaming” while Sudarsa was grabbing her hair.



After his evidence finished, Connor told reporters the testimony confirmed the “truth” – that her only involvement was “separating them”.



She said they did not know Sudarsa was seriously hurt when they left him.



“I tried to go to the police to report him because I was upset that somebody attacked me.”



“After we [Taylor and I] had a shower [at the hotel] I was calm and thought, ‘It’s OK, I don’t have to report him. I don’t have to give him any more trouble’.”



Last week, security officer Suryana described seeing Sudarsa’s body on the sand later that morning, saying: “He was without his left shoe and his left leg was scratched … His face was covered with blood and sand.”



Connor and Taylor will return to court next week.