The Denpasar Police Chief has revealed that blood belonging to Byron Bay woman Sara Connor and her British boyfriend David Taylor had been found at the crime scene where a Balinese police officer was killed.
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Grand police commissioner Hadi Purnomo said this and other evidence led to the couple being declared murder suspects over the grisly death of Wayan Sudarsa, who was found near a smashed Bintang beer bottle with 42 wounds.
Meanwhile, details emerged about what Mr Taylor had told police about the fateful night when he was interrogated on Saturday.
His lawyer, Haposan Sihombing, said Ms Connor had told his client a "bad cop" pushed her to the ground and lay on top of her on the beach while she was searching for her missing handbag.
The Denpasar Police Chief outlined the evidence against Ms Connor and Mr Taylor at a door stop on the sidelines of the cremation ceremony for the dead policeman Mr Sudarsa on Sunday.
He said the couple's blood had been found at the crime scene and the victim's blood had been found at the Kuta homestay where they had been staying.
"We see fit to name them as suspects based on the evidence," Mr Purnomo said.
He also revealed witnesses had seen Mr Taylor and Mr Sudarsa, wrestling on the beach and near the street. "Two witnesses saw them - hotel security and an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver. There is no doubting it."
It was not yet known what triggered the fight but he noted alcohol had been a factor.
Mr Purnomo hosed down speculation that Mr Sudarsa had been spying on the couple while they made out on the beach.
He said Mr Taylor's fingernails had been injured in the fight: "Based on the suspect's statement, it was because he was bitten by the victim."
Police were also investigating whether the killed police officer had bitten Ms Connor's thigh.
Mr Purnomo said the evidence against the couple included the blood found at the crime scene and Kubu Kauh Beach Inn, the smashed bottle near the corpse, wounds on the victim's body and the handbag containing Ms Connor's identity cards.
Ms Connor, a 45-year-old mother of two who ran a pasta-making business in Byron Bay and her British DJ boyfriend, Mr Taylor, are facing up to 15 years in jail if found guilty.
Mr Haposan told Fairfax Media Mr Taylor had been interrogated from 2pm until 7pm on Saturday. He had not admitted to committing the murder.
Mr Haposan, who also represented Bali nine mule Renae Lawrence and convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, said Mr Taylor had been asked 35 questions by police.
Mr Taylor told them he and Ms Connor had gone to Kuta beach for a date.
"His girlfriend lost her bag, so they went looking for it [separately]," Mr Haposan said.
When Mr Taylor was reunited with Ms Connor on the street, she was crying and saying "not good cop".
Mr Haposan said Mr Taylor went back on the beach and saw a man lying face down in the sand. He turned him over and touched his lips and the man bit him.
"He tried to help," Mr Haposan said. "According to [Mr Taylor's] version, when his hand was near the man's face, suddenly his fingers were bitten. Police asked if he cried for help when the man bit his fingers. David said, 'No', he only said "F---!" and then left."
Mr Taylor said he had then returned Ms Connor on the street and the two had returned to their homestay - Kubu Kauh Beach Inn in Kuta.
On the way home, Ms Connor told Mr Taylor a police officer had attacked her while she had been searching for her bag, according to Mr Haposan.
"She later told David about a bad cop who pushed her down to the sand and lay on top of her. She screamed for help. Several people pulled the bad officer off her; that's how she managed to escape. She managed to get away because there were people who helped her after she screamed."
One of Mr Sudarsa's family members, Putu Yudi, said his there had never been a record of Mr Sudarsa harassing a woman in his 35 years in the police force.
"He's a loving person, a good person. The late Sudarsa I knew never disrespected women. He was polite towards women, towards his mother. I don't know what happened that night but my late brother Sudarsa would never do something like that in his personal or professional life."
An ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver told Fairfax Media he had been approached by a woman in the early hours of August 17. However, he refused to pick her up because her clothes were covered in blood.
"She was panicked, she said she had lost her bag," he said. He said a man, whose clothes were also bloody, was helping her look for the bag.
Mr Taylor's lawyer said the couple had checked out of Kubu Kauh Beach Inn on August 17 and went to a homestay in Kedonganan in Jimbaran.
It was here, he said, that a friend from Australia rang Ms Connor and told her that according to the news, police in Bali were looking for her.
The friend suggested she contact the Australian Consulate in Bali.
Bali police were waiting at the Australian Consulate and the couple were taken to Denpasar police office on Friday.
Ms Connor and Mr Taylor have been charged with three alternative offences - second degree murder, manslaughter committed by more than one person and/or assault leading to death.
They carry maximum penalties of 15, 12 and seven year jail terms respectively.
Mr Haposan said Mr Taylor and Ms Connor were being kept separate at Denpasar police station.
They will continue to be interrogated on Monday.
