Add Category
Sara Connor inside the prisoners car after hearing the verdict where she was sentenced to 4 years in jail. Picture: Lukman S. Bintoro
AUSTRALIAN mother-of-two Sara Connor could reportedly face the potential of having her four-year jail sentence increased for her part in the death of a Bali police officer.
A report by The Daily Telegraph, claims the prosecution has confirmed their intent to appeal the sentencing because they think it was too lenient.
Denpasar Prosecutions general crime chief, Ketut Maha Agung, told the paper they will appeal to the High Court in a bid to have her serve more time, seeking the eight years they demanded.
Ms Connor’s British boyfriend, DJ David Taylor was jailed for six years over the killing of Wayan Sudarsa, a 35-year veteran of the Indonesian police force whose body was found on Legian beach on August 7, 2016.
He will not contest his sentence.
Mr Taylor confessed to bashing the police officer, but argued he did so in self-defence.
Ms Connor confessed to attempting to intervene in the fight, and to destroying Mr Sudarsa’s identification and burning the bloodstained clothes belonging to her and her boyfriend in the hours after the attack.
“We have decided to appeal to the High Court. My team went to Denpasar District Court to notify the court that we will appeal,” Mr Agung said.
Sara Connor listens to the Judge reading the verdict and sentencing her to 4 years in jail. Picture: Lukman S. BintoroSource:News Corp Australia
“Because the sentence is half of the prosecutor’s demand. It is less than two-thirds of the demand,” he told the Telegraph.
Mr Agung said the evidence was in favour of the prosecution’s case and that he was confident they could have the jail time lengthened.
“Of course we are expecting the same sentence with our demand, eight years,” he said.
As it currently stands, with time already served and remissions of several months each year for good behaviour Ms Connor could be free in less than three years.
Three judges in the Denpasar District Court found the Byron Bay mum and businesswoman legally and convincingly guilty of group violence causing the death of Mr Sudarsa.
In jailing Ms Connor, the judges rejected a key plank of her defence — that her only role was in separating her boyfriend and the officer from fighting on the beach. They found that she had sat on the victim, not to separate them but to pin the officer down while Taylor assaulted him.