Defense lawyers in a Mauritius murder trial have focused on the sex life of strangled Irish bride Michaela Harte McAreavey to the fury of the prosecution.
Harte, daughter of Tyrone football legend and manager Mickey Harte, was strangled in her hotel room on the honeymoon island in January 2011 allegedly by two hotel employees she interrupted during a robbery.
Principal state counsel Mehdi Manrakhan reacted angrily when Sanjeev Teeluckdharry, representing accused Avinash Treebhoowoon, asked a police officer if a book found in the room called “The Ultimate Sex Guide” contained material of a violent nature.
He also asked if contents of a laptop found in the room had been examined and if two iPhones had been checked out.
The clear strategy according to legal experts is to somehow muddy the reputation of the young woman.
"I object in the strongest possible terms," prosecution lawyer Mehdi Manrakhan said as some of his legal colleagues slammed papers on the benches in outrage after the defense line of questioning became evident.
The prosecution case is that Michaela was strangled in panic by two hotel employees, Mr Treebhoowoon (30) and Sandeep Moneea (42), after she had unexpectedly returned to her room and found them stealing. The two men deny the charges.
Judge Prithviraj Fecknah upheld the objection to the line of questioning by the defense and demanded they stop.
The defense continued to probe a key witness, Sgt Govinder Ramasawmy, who was the lead investigator at the murder scene.
They accused Sgt Ramasawmy of not interviewing a number of key witnesses including a German couple who were let go because they spoke no English.
“Officer, you did not do anything in that inquiry. In fact you participated in bungling that inquiry,” a defense lawyer asked.
Sgt Ramasawmy refuted the allegation.
“No, my lord,” he said.
McAreavey (27), had returned to the room to fetch some cookies while her husband, John, waited downstairs. When she did not appear, he went to her room and found her strangled in the bathtub. The accused face up to 60 years in jail if found guilty.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Oona | May 30, 2012, 10:15 AM EDT
Thewhistler--you are the ignorant person, to use the word "retarded" as a derogatory term.
Thewhistler | May 29, 2012, 08:15 AM EDT
Poor bythebay leave her alone she's retarded hasn't a life and has to go forums like this to give her ten cents!! Ureal you ignorant human being speaking out as if you were there and saw her. what would you know about northern Ireland?? Where are you from?? I'm from the north of Ireland. And I'm a an irish!!! God help us in this world why can't people live there own lives and stay out of other peoples these comment couloms are a joke I very rarely I ever leave comment it's times like this that ileave a comment. It's unbelieveable a beautiful womans life was taken And they try to scorn her name god blesss her family that have to listen to this b...shi, and for the presstitutes who just love to publish this b,s they are lower than snakes bellys
ciaradexy | May 28, 2012, 11:40 AM EDT
Bythebay, i work with people from mauritius, i know exactly what life is like there. As youre well aware, people from NI can claim Irish or British citizenship due to the GFA.This family are irish. Very different to yanks with Irish grannies or union flag wavers.
bobby | May 27, 2012, 09:53 PM EDT
Bythebay, she lived in northern ireland but had an irish passport. She was a resident on the island of ireland hon. One would think in a 5 star resort, you would be safe. I went to Jamaica in a 5 star resort, it was very safe.
Bythebay | May 27, 2012, 07:31 PM EDT
ciaradexy, she was Northern Ireland UK resident. Not a resident of Ireland hon. Mauritius just gained its independence in 1968, it is not a wealthy country regardless of their rating system for the hotel in question. Flaunting expensive clothing, jewelry and the like is not smart on holiday anywhere except possibly in Cannes or Torquay or Martha's Vineyard where the very rich go. Those going on holiday are always warned to be mindful of possible theft.
ciaradexy | May 27, 2012, 05:18 PM EDT
Cillowen, what is wrong with you? Do you have a syndrome of some sort? This was a 5 star luxury resort in Maritius, not Afghanistan. Bythebay, this woman was from the island of Ireland, shes Irish. The GFA ensures she can be Northern Irish, British or Irish.
Bythebay | May 27, 2012, 01:23 PM EDT
They should be well aware the defense attorneys will seek out anything to save their clients. Happens in the US and elsewhere as well.
Searlit | May 26, 2012, 07:52 PM EDT
There is nothing sacred to some people. It's terrible! At least Mr. McAreavey wasn't in court to hear that.
SheilaSB | May 26, 2012, 05:32 PM EDT
This sort of defense is unspeakably horrible and cruel, to say nothing of the monsters who would target a young woman in the happiest time of her life. A good many honeymoon couples take an "advice" book with them, and for a so-called investigator to use the presence of such a book to besmirch the victim's character is unconscionable. I do hope this tragedy prompts other newlyweds to be very safety conscious so that one never goes anywhere without the other and to call security at the slightest hint of something being wrong or unsafe. The world is just too dangerous!
Bythebay | May 26, 2012, 03:48 PM EDT
They had a laptop, iPhones, expensive jewelry and clothing. Mauritius is not known for its wealth. Tourists always have to be prudent not to give the impression of things or money to steal and not show off their wealth.
Bythebay | May 26, 2012, 03:18 PM EDT
No doubt the defense will be outraged as well by what the prosecutors say in this trial regarding the murder of a Northern Ireland UK woman. That's the nature of the legal system.
EamonnDublin | May 26, 2012, 01:05 PM EDT
Typical "justice" - as developed by do-gooder "human rights" liberal types all around the world. The accused has all the rights; the victim and the victim's family has none whatsoever. As Marie Antoinette might have said: "In this world you get the law; in the next world you get justice". Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.
hermitTalker | May 26, 2012, 12:03 PM EDT
Sick clown. Make the victim the criminal.