Indonesian media is alleging an Aussie tourist who died when he was allegedly hit over the head with a chair was the brother-in-law of his alleged killer.
The same reports revealed a disturbing allegation — that Troy Scott Johnston “urinated” on the bar owner before tensions boiled.
Mr Johnston, 40, was allegedly beaten with a chair at Uncle Benz Cafe in South Kuta by 20-year-old Gede Wijaya, the Indonesian owner of the bar.
According to a police statement, Mr Johnston’s wife, Ni Nyoman Purnianti, went to check on her husband at about 3.45am on Thursday morning after she had not heard from him since 10.30pm when he said he was still drinking at the bar.
Police said she and her brother found him in “a pool of blood” on the bar’s terrace.
They said Wijaya claims Mr Johnston was “throwing bottles on the street”, leading to a confrontation where “Wijaya was attacked and slammed”.
Police alleged that as they wrestled, Mr Johnston “quickly got up and grabbed a chair and threw it at Wijaya,” at which point Wijaya grabbed the chair off Mr Johnston and hit his head, injuring him fatally.
In a police press conference aired on Balinese TV, Wijaya told police he “tried to calm (Mr Johnson) down” as he was “drunk and lost control,” before claiming:
“I am very regretful and have no intention to do that because I know him very well so I don’t have any intention to do that”.
His wife hit back at the claim the pair knew each other well, writing on social media that Wijaya was a “f***ing liar”.
“You said you know my husband. You just know my husband that (night),” she wrote.
But several Balinese media outlets have reported the pair were in fact brother-in-laws.
English-speaking news website Coconuts Bali reported Mr Johnston “met up with his brother-in-law I Gede Wijaya at a cafe owned by the suspect early on Thursday morning”.
“Police said Wijaya and Johnston drank arak (traditional liquor) together until the victim became inebriated,” the story read.
The outlet went onto say Wijaya told reporters at a press conference at the South Kuta Police HQ that Mr Johnson “peed on my left leg … I tried to tell him to cut it out. But he went inside and threw glass cups at me”.
These alleged comments were also quoted in a story published by another local news outlet, Detikbali.
The Bali Sun also quoted a police spokesperson alleging the “perpetrator urinated on the victim, and then [the victim] made trouble at the cafe that was owned by the perpetrator”.
Police arrested Wijaya and charged him with murder over the death of Mr Johnson, who worked for Rio Tinto at Perth Airport.
He could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
In a statement, a Rio Tinto spokesman said the company was “devastated” that “one of our much loved and valued team members has tragically passed away overseas”
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Troy’s family and friends, and we are providing them all the support we can during this very difficult time,” it read.
“Troy’s colleagues are deeply saddened and we are providing them access to a range of support services.”
Johnston and Purnianti were reportedly in Bali for a holiday with their young child.