A bar owner charged with the murder of an Australian tourist in Bali has been identified as his brother-in-law.
Perth man Troy Scott Johnston, 40, was reported to have been involved in an altercation with Gede Wijaya, 20, at Uncle Benz Cafe in South Kuta just before 4am on Thursday.
Mr Johnston is said to have urinated on Wijaya before the altercation escalated, with Wijaya reportedly hitting his brother-in-law on the head with a barstool.
Wijaya has since been arrested and charged with murder.
Troy Scott Johnston, 40 (pictured), allegedly got involved in an altercation with Gede Wijaya at Uncle Benz Cafe in South Kuta just before 4 a.m. on Thursday
Wijaya has since been arrested and charged with murder following Thursday’s altercation
Mr Johnston was vacationing in Indonesia with his wife Ni Nyoman Purnianti and young son when he went out for a drink on Wednesday night.
His wife became concerned after he failed to return to their accommodation by 3 a.m. and decided to search for her husband with the help of her brother.
The pair found Mr Johnston unconscious and lying in a pool of his own blood in the cafe owned by his brother-in-law before 4am on Thursday.
Mr Johnston was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Mr Johnston is believed to have died after being hit on the head with a wooden bar stool after a fight broke out in the pub.
His heartbroken wife and colleagues at work have paid tribute to the father and airport controller on social media.
Wijaya told a police press conference that Mr Johnston was drunk and had ‘thrown bottles in the street’.
He claimed that Mr. Johnston ‘urinated on my left leg… I tried to tell him to cut it out. But he went in and threw glass cups at me’.
“He was drunk and lost control… I tried to calm him down,” he said.
“I’m very sorry and don’t intend to do that because I know him very well, so I don’t intend to do that.”
However, the police claim that Wijaya was also drinking before a fight broke out.
“Wijaya was attacked and beaten, they both struggled on the floor, Scott quickly got up and grabbed a chair and threw it at Wijaya,” they said.
The bar owner reportedly grabbed Johnston’s bar stool and hit his head, causing a serious head injury.
Cafe Uncle Benz was temporarily closed after the alleged altercation between the brother-in-law
Mr. Johnston’s wife recalled the moment when she found her husband unconscious and lying in a pool of his own blood.
“I already find him on the ground with a lot of blood,” she told 7News.
‘My husband did not know him (Mr. Wijaya)’.
She penned an emotional message to her husband on social media begging him to “wake up to us” and calling his alleged killer a “fucking liar.”
“You said you know my husband (today). You just know my husband that (night),” she wrote.
“I just want to tell you… he owns the bar where my husband goes to drink. My brother and I were the ones who called the ambulance and the police.’
She told police that her husband left around 7:30 p.m. and that she and her brother were looking for him when he didn’t return by 3:45 a.m.
“At 10:30 p.m. Purnianti contacted Scott and he replied that he was still drinking,” police said.
“Purnianti and her brother were shocked to find Johnston lying in a pool of blood on the terrace of Uncle Benz Cafe.”
Mr. Johnston was employed by Rio Tinto at the Perth Airport Operations Center as an airport controller.
Mr Johnston’s wife recalled the moment she found her husband unconscious and lying in a pool of his own blood
News of his death reached his colleagues Friday, according to The West.
“We are devastated by the news that one of our much loved and valued team members has tragically passed away abroad,” said a Rio Tinto spokesperson.
A spokesman for his employer, mining giant Rio Tinto, said the company was supporting family members and loved ones.
“We are devastated by the news that one of our much loved and valued team members has tragically passed away overseas,” the statement said.
“Troy’s colleagues are deeply saddened and we are providing them with access to a range of support services.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with Troy’s family and friends.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.
