Lawyer asks for John McAreavey to be detained

A LAWYER for one of the accused in the Michaela McAreavey trial in Mauritius asked for her husband, Tullylish man John McAreavey, to be detained.

Rama Valayden, who acts for Sandip Moneea, 42, a former room supervisor at the Legends Hotel, says he was given CCTV footage allegedly showing the couple arguing around the time of her death by the case’s chief prosecutor.

Mr Valayden, it is understood, will ask for the tape to be shown to the jury.

In a letter to the island’s police major crimes investigation team Mr Valayden wrote, “Viewing the tape,…we can now safely confirm that Mr and Mrs McAreavey were at the reception of the hotel on or around 15.02 hours on the 10th of January 2011.

“I strongly urge you to do the needful for Mr John McAreavey not to leave the country pending further enquiry that might follow after viewing the footage.””

Dick Ng Sui Wah, a lawyer acting for the McAreavey family, said the tape was simply being used as an “excuse to divert attention from the real culprit.” “Anyway John McAreavey will stay till the end of the trial. He wants to know the final verdict,” he told Mauritius’s Radio Plus.

“Not only John but the Harte family as well and also the Irish embassy is following the case. All this is complete insanity.” Co Tyrone teacher Mrs McAreavey, 27, was found dead in her room at the luxury Legends Hotel on the island in January last year.

Moneea and Avinash Treebhoowoon, 31, who are former hotel employees, deny murdering the daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football boss Mickey Harte.

The trial, which is into its fourth week in the capital Port Louis, continues.