Three men charged in the fatal shooting of an Australian citizen in Munggu have requested lighter sentences as defence arguments highlight cooperation and apologies.
The three defendants in the shooting case that killed an Australian citizen, ZR, at Casa Santisya 1, Munggu Village, Badung Regency, Bali, on Saturday, the 14th of June, 2025, have directly requested leniency.
The three defendants are CM (22), TPM (26), and DFJ (27), with the latter being tried separately. The request was made during a defence hearing (pleidoi) at the Denpasar District Court on Monday, the 9th of February, 2026.
“We ask the honourable panel of judges to impose the lightest possible sentence on defendants one [CM] and two [TPM],” said attorney Ricky Rajendar Singh.
Singh outlined several points he believed the judges should consider to reduce the sentences. These included the two defendants’ prior records, their cooperative behaviour, and their confessions during the trial. The defendants have also apologised not only to the victim’s family but also to the Indonesian and Balinese communities, who were disturbed by their actions.
“The defendants have admitted their guilt and have apologised to the victim and the victim’s entire family, both in Indonesia and abroad. The defendants are also the breadwinners of the families,” explained Singh.
In the previous hearing, the public prosecutor from the Badung District Attorney’s Office demanded 18-year prison sentences for CM and TPM. The prosecutor argued that both had been proven to be the executors of a premeditated murder. Meanwhile, DFJ was sentenced to 17 years in prison for assisting and preparing logistics for CM and TPM before the shooting. Therefore, Singh argued that CM’s actions could be categorised as a premeditated crime causing serious injury, which carries a sentence of seven years in prison.
Meanwhile, TPM’s actions could be classified as serious assault resulting in death, which carries a sentence of 15 years in prison. DFJ also made the same request at a separate hearing, as he stated that he was not involved in the murder of ZR and claimed never to have been involved in violence or other crimes.
“The prosecutor’s accusations against me are completely inconsistent with my character, my history and my life over the past 27 years,” said DFJ on Monday as well.
The motive behind the murder has yet to be revealed during the trial thus far. On top of that, while the defendants had identified someone referred to as “Mr X” as the mastermind behind the murder, they nonetheless refused to disclose his real identity.