British man accused in Bali police death confesses to fight
A British man arrested in the killing of a police officer on the tourist island of Bali confessed to bashing the Indonesian man with a beer bottle and leaving him unconscious, police said Tuesday. His lawyer said he didn't realize the officer would die.
David Taylor and his Australian girlfriend, Sara Connor, were arrested Friday, two days after the bloodied body of traffic police officer Wayan Sudarsa was found on the beach outside the Pullman Hotel in Kuta, a popular tourist area. Connor's handbag was found nearby.
The couple had been drinking beer on the beach in the hours before the late-night encounter.
Denpasar Police Chief Col. Hadi Purnomo said Taylor, 33, admitted getting into a fight with Sudarsa, who was on duty, after Connor realized she had lost her handbag and accused the officer of stealing it and being a fake police officer.
Purnomo said the dispute escalated after Taylor tried to search Sudarsa, who pushed the British man to the ground.
Taylor's lawyer, Haposan Sihombing, said his client admitted to hitting the Indonesian with a cellphone, binoculars and beer bottle, but he didn't realize Sudarsa would die.
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Prosecutors will decide charges after police submit their investigation report. A conviction for intentional murder in Indonesia has a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
