5 days ago
We came to Bali for a dream getaway - but a drunk Australian ruined everything for us
Two British mates on holiday in Bali have claimed they were run down in the street by a tattooed Aussie who police alleged had been on a drunken carjacking rampage.
North Londoner Jesse Green, 27, travelled to the holiday island for a relaxing break and had met up with his brother and also his friend Luke Ellis, 25, of Birmingham.
Mr Green, who runs a sales agency back in the UK, claimed he and Mr Ellis were departing another friend's house in Canggu on a motorcycle just after midnight Sunday when a black Toyota Avanza mowed them down.
He said the pair were sober and sharing a single bike when they were 'rammed from behind' by the car, which the police had accused the Australian, known only as WRJ, of having carjacked earlier that night.
'It was completely unprovoked. We'd never seen him before,' Mr Ellis told Daily Mail.
Mr Green bore the brunt of the impact and was thrown from the back of the bike, while Mr Ellis went sliding along the bitumen with the machine.
Fuelled by adrenaline, Mr Ellis managed to shove the bike off himself before collapsing just moments later.
'We were both just lying in the road in shock, like ''what the hell happened?'',' Mr Green said.
As the pair were getting their bearings on the road, they looked for what had hit them.
'And we can see in the distance, the SUV is just driving off, hit and run style.
'We were there in shock physically, mentally, everything you can imagine,' Mr Green said.
Witnesses called an ambulance to take them to hospital where they discovered the extent of their injuries.
The pair's helmets had spared them head trauma, but both men suffered serious injuries to their lower bodies.
Doctors discovered Mr Green suffered a fractured pelvis, confirmed by CT scans of his hips and spine taken at 4am on Sunday.
His medical bills are already more than $1,000. He also fears it could cost him crucial clients at work by delaying his return to the UK.
Mr Ellis sustained deep abrasions and burns from the bike and the road surface, with his treatment medical bills already at $500.
His gleaming sport bike was also badly damaged on the body work and frame with repairs expected to exceed $2,000. Both have paid the bills out of their own pocket.
Balinese police arrested an Australian man (pictured speaking with police in his underwear) after a burned-out car was found nearby, allegedly stolen from a villa security worker
Mr Ellis remains bed ridden while Mr Green is recovering with limited mobility.
Their ordeal didn't end there.
As the men received treatment in hospital, Mr Green's brother approached local police and claimed he was told by the accused's lawyer not to file a police report.
The pair then contracted a local lawyer and told him they wanted to file a police report for the alleged hit-and-run through a translator.
The lawyer informed them foreigners could not make police reports under Indonesian law but promised to help them seek a reimbursement for their medical fees and the bike.
He assured them it was a standard process under the government and told the men he would speak to the lawyer representing the alleged carjacker.
'After he went to meet with the lawyer, whatever happened… everything changed. His whole tune changed,' Mr Green said.
'We don't know what has happened, but… he changed his tune. To the point where now this morning he said, ''I can't represent you guys. I can't represent you guys''.'
The Australian reached a peace agreement with the car's owner (pictured together) on Tuesday, police said
The pair said they are struggling to understand the local legal system, and are unsure whether the accused will be brought to justice.
They fear they could be left without financial compensation if authorities do no cooperate with them.
Law consultants at Legal Indonesia previously stated foreigners may encounter challenges dealing with local police.
'Foreigners in Bali often find themselves at a disadvantage. Police do not always readily accept reports and may even avoid engagement due to language barriers or reluctance to handle cases they see as difficult to resolve,' they said.
Police alleged the Australian had intimidated security officials at the Seminyak villa in which he was staying, choking one and stealing a car from another.
The man allegedly drove off in the Toyota Avanza while drunk, as the owner and his colleague gave chase.
It was found engulfed in flames early on Sunday morning with the interior completely incinerated and the windows smashed outward by the blaze.
Police said they returned to the man's villa in Eden the Residence by the Sea and arrested him. Management at the villa complex told police their suspect had been involved in other disturbances before the alleged incident on Sunday.
The Australian was arrested and taken to North Kuta Police Station and was questioned by police on Monday.
However, after he was detained and the case was transferred to police and seen by immigrations officials, the Australian was released on Tuesday.
North Kuta Police Chief Pasek Sudina said he reached a peace agreement with the security guard who owned the vehicle.
'The victim I Ketut Wijaya Kusuma decided to not lodge a police report as the perpetrator has agreed to give him compensation over his loss,' he said.
He is due to sign a separate agreement over a case of alleged phone theft with a manager of The Club Bali.
'(He) has also agreed to cover the medical cost for another foreigner that has been hit by the car driven by him during the escape,' Police Chief Sudina said.
