A drunken brawl between an expatriate resident of Bali and the owner of a local café in Ungasan, South Bali, has resulted in the death of Australian Troy Johnston McCallum (40).
As reported by Beritabali.com, the cafe’s owner, I Gede Wijaya, struck McCallum over the head with a wooden chair causing fatal injuries to the Australian, who was pronounced dead at The BIMC Hospital in Kuta.
McCallum was married to a Balinese woman, Ni Nyoman Purniati, who lived with the Australian in a home only 50-meters from the scene of the fatal altercation – Uncle Benz Café on Jalan Pantai Balangan Nomor 16, in South Kuta, Ungasan.
The Head of the Denpasar Police Precinct, Commissioner Bambang Yudo Pamungkas, told the press the incident occurred at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, 22 February 2023. Earlier, McCallum left his home to drink at the nearby café. “An hour later, Troy sent a message to his wife advising he was still drinking at the Café,” said Police Commissioner Bambang.
The woman went to bed and was alarmed at 3:45 am to discover her husband, Troy, had yet to return home. Accompanied by a brother, I Gede Juni Artawan, the woman went to the café in search of her missing husband.
Arriving at the Café, she discovered the bleeding body of her husband lying on the terrace. She saw her husband had suffered wounds to his head. The woman, originally from Lombok, summoned an ambulance while holding her husband in her arms.
The Australian was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Purniati then reported the death to the South Kuta Police Precinct. Based on the reports and evidence from the crime scene, Police quickly took the Café’s owner, I Gede Wijaya, into custody,
Wijaya was arrested at his home in Banjar Werdhi Kosala Ungasan.
Interrogated by the Police, Gede Wijaya said he had only known the dead Australian for two days when McCallum drank Arak with Wijaya at the Café. Reported to be heavily intoxicated, McCallum ran amok and began throwing bottles and glasses at the restaurant’s owner.
Wijaya told Police that at one point, Troy urinated on Wijaya’s leg, escalating his actions by hitting the Balinese man on the back and biting him on the neck. Wijaya said he sought refuge in his café but was pursued by McCallum, who threw a wooden chair in his direction. Wrestling the chair away from McCallum, Wijaya said he used the chair to retaliate, striking the Australian on the head.
McCallum collapsed on the café’s terrace. Meanwhile, Wijaya, claiming he thought the Australian was only drunk, decided to close the café and return home, leaving the Australian to sober up on his own.
Wijaya only learned of the man’s death from the Australian’s wife and the Police.
Wijaya has expressed remorse and regret over the murderous emotional outburst and is now likely to be charged under Section 339 KUHP of the Indonesian Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
“I regret this. I had no desire to kill, and I reacted emotionally at the moment,” Wijaya told representatives of the press gathered at the police station.
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