Murder trial in Mauritius

Winston Payne

Fishooks12 wrote: »

I know it's after hours

And that's where your post should have stopped.



The state of this thread. Jesus Christ.

fryup

Ellis Dee wrote: »

http://theindependent.mu/2012/05/25/bathtub-disappeared-during-reconstruction/

Note the reader comment! John Morrissey doesn't sound like a very Mautitian name to me. More like someone from the Six Counties who has a thing about Nationalists and the GAA.

but who's to say he is a nordie??? just because he made a snide remark about the GAA you automatically assume he's a nordie :rolleyes:

don't jump to conclusions love

anyway john morrissey sounds like an irish nationalist name if anything

IrishAm

Show Time wrote: »

Visiting a place like Mauritius would not top my to do list as you are dealing with savage backward locals who would stuff you in the dinner pot as fast as they would smile at you.

Having worked in an industry that has an awful lot of Mauritian lads in it, I can say that you are talking through your hoop.

Very hospitable folk, would do anything for you and excellent workers. The media claim that foreign nationals are better workers than the Irish, but the only two nationalities it rings true for, are the Mauritians and Chinese.

In short, a great bunch of lads and I regret turning down the opportunity to go to a pals wedding there.

If random barbaric acts of violence put everyone off visiting Ireland, we would have very few tourists.

IrishAm

fryup wrote: »

anyway john morrissey sounds like an irish nationalist name if anything

Sweet Jesus. Are people actually scouring the comments on online articles to score petty points against themuns?

Does it matter a bollix?

girl in the striped socks

Regarding the sex book: were they not both staunch Christians & didn't believe in sex before marriage? I could swear I heard or read that somewhere. Which could explain the book. Newly married couple, looking to enjoy their honeymoon as much as they can. Doesn't really strike me as strange, in fact I think it's quite romantic & sweet.
Anyway, whether that is true or not my heart goes out to her husband & family. It's not enough that she was murdered but now every little bit of their lives are being laid bare for the world to pick through. Not an easy time for them considering they are still grieving for her.
It's really hard to believe what has happened.
My heart really goes out to her family & friends. It must be horrific.

fryup

IrishAm wrote: »

Sweet Jesus. Are people actually scouring the comments on online articles to score petty points against themuns?

Does it matter a bollix?

not me.. i'm just responding to ellis dee's post

fasttalkerchat

girl in the striped socks wrote: »

Regarding the sex book: were they not both staunch Christians & didn't believe in sex before marriage? I could swear I heard or read that somewhere.

She was a pioneer and took that group in school. Not sure about the abstinence part but its likely. It could even have been a kamasutra book you get on holiday resorts. Either way it was totally irrelevant and I hope their justice system can tighten up and deal with this behaviour accordingly.

Show Time

IrishAm wrote: »

Having worked in an industry that has an awful lot of Mauritian lads in it, I can say that you are talking through your hoop.

Very hospitable folk, would do anything for you and excellent workers. The media claim that foreign nationals are better workers than the Irish, but the only two nationalities it rings true for, are the Mauritians and Chinese.

In short, a great bunch of lads and I regret turning down the opportunity to go to a pals wedding there.

If random barbaric acts of violence put everyone off visiting Ireland, we would have very few tourists.

Fair enough but i still would not fancy checking the place out.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Show Time wrote: »

Fair enough but i still would not fancy checking the place out.

In fairness it is a beautiful country with a lovely race of people, I was there on holidays for 3 weeks in 06. I wouldn't let this unfortunate occurrence put you off visiting.

RATM

Interesting article on the case to date by the BBC here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18225404

It says a lot of local Mauritians are shocked by the murder but also hope that it won't be a Maurtianian found guilty of the crime for fear of them all being labelled as a result. They are quite conciouse that a large part of their national income is reliant on tourism.

Instead some of them speculate that two Irish people committed the murder and then ran off out of the hotel.

Chain_reaction

RATM wrote: »

Interesting article on the case to date by the BBC here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18225404

It says a lot of local Mauritians are shocked by the murder by hope that it won't be a Maurtianian found guilty of the crime for fear of them all being labelled as a result. Instead some of them speculate that two Irish people committed the murder and then ran off into the night.

I worked with two Mauritians around the time it took place.


They were horrified by the whole thing, attacks on tourists are very rare and they were afraid the whole country would be tarred with the same brush.


Both of then were unnaturally kind and friendly too so I'd really hate to see anyone thinking ill of their beautiful country.

fasttalkerchat

A booklet relating to sexual matters in Michaela McAreavey's hotel room was an insert from a women's magazine.

News now.

Giselle

There's nothing tawdry about a couple having a sex book in their bedroom, and its no one else's business.

What worries me is that the whole investigation was so inept that the justice meted out at the end of this trial, if any, might forever be thought of as unreliable.

Michaela deserves her killer(s) to be brought to justice and for that to be a confident conclusion to the ordeal her family have gone through since. It would be a tragedy for everyone if that didn't happen.

hondasam

Giselle wrote: »

There's nothing tawdry about a couple having a sex book in their bedroom, and its no one else's business.

It's no one else's business until one of the people is murdered, then it becomes everyone's business.
Would it not be obvious to everyone that their private life was going to be scrutinised, it is a murder case after all.
Why bother having a trial at all if these men are guilty?

sawakatoome

Wasn't there something in the news today about a European forensics expert who could find no genetic evidence from the accused on either Michaela or anywhere in the room?

sawakatoome

The exact circumstances of Michaela's death (be it murder or 'mis-adventure') needs to be ascertained before blame can be assigned. Of course, its human nature to speculate .. but I reckon the truth will eventually emerge.

seamus

sawakatoome wrote: »

Wasn't there something in the news today about a European forensics expert who could find no genetic evidence from the accused on either Michaela or anywhere in the room?

Link?

sawakatoome wrote: »

The exact circumstances of Michaela's death (be it murder or 'mis-adventure') needs to be ascertained before blame can be assigned. Of course, its human nature to speculate .. but I reckon the truth will eventually emerge.

Uh, isn't that the point of the trial?

Johnny Bitte

seamus wrote: »

Link?

Link

Da Shins Kelly

The whole thing is a farce. The Mauritian judicial system has never dealt with something as big as this before, and it shows. The defence team is an absolute joke, it's not clear if the two suspects actually did it, and the media covering the case are treating it like a TV show rather than real life. I honestly think these people just watched some court room drama and now think that that is what real life is. I feel terribly sorry for the girl's family to have to sit through this and have everyone treat it like entertainment.

BunShopVoyeur

scholar007 wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

It can't be taught, the fact that you couldn't even comprehend the ****ing idea suggests you're not ready. I dunno where you got the money for a waterproof keyboard tbh.

Someone donated the computer to me. R u like an entrepreneur or millionaire that needs 2 mobiles? Can you really access the internet via a mobile?

Do you have special needs?

Honestly, you're spouting some shîte on a thread that isn't a place for piss taking or idiotic questions.

LittleBook

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

In fairness it sounds like the defence team is doing exactly what they should be doing, in other words, doing their job. Pick holes in the evidence of the prosection, and put forward some other alternate theories, however loose they may be. A two pronged attack.

Agreed, but there is a level of professionalism that should be expected from the defence that seems to be completely absent here.

The defence lawyers knew full well that the "sex guidebook" was an insert from a magazine but did their utmost to make it seem seedy.

Their carry-on in the courtroom is offensive.

When questioning a police mapper on the dimensions of his drawings, Rama Valayden, counsel for co-accused Sandip Moneea, thought it appropriate to quip: "Size matters."

"Can we break at 2.30pm?" the [defence]lawyer enquired. "I am feeling exhausted."

And the behaviour of the defence lawyers cheering section (the future of Mauritian law) is reprehensible.

The whole thing reminds me of this quote:

Lionel Hutz wrote:

I'll be defending you on the charge of ... MURDER ONE!!? Wow, even if I lose I'll be famous!

Royal Legend

With no DNA evidence surely the case will collapse, not that i know anything about their legal system, this seems to be fubar, going by the latest, they don't even have the right suspects and the police beat the s h 1 t out of them and then go on the stand and does'nt even have the balls to answer the questions, unreal.
I feel sorry for the McAreaveys and the Hartes

seamus

Royal Legend wrote: »

With no DNA evidence surely the case will collapse

DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all in reality. Absence of someone's DNA isn't proof that they were absent. Just like the existence of their DNA wouldn't prove they were there at the time of the murder.

prinz

seamus wrote: »

DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all in reality. Absence of someone's DNA isn't proof that they were absent. Just like the existence of their DNA wouldn't prove they were there at the time of the murder.

Too many people watching CSI where there is almost always a nice lump of skin/drop of blood/etc somewhere very easy to find.

Lord Trollington

seamus wrote: »

DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all in reality. Absence of someone's DNA isn't proof that they were absent.

I hope the Harte family lawyer has something up his sleeve. Whilst its not the be all and end all, unless there's some kind of evidence that places them in the room there will be doubts about them. I'm having my doubts as it is.

Lollipops23

If it's true that the police beat the suspects senseless, I hope they're happy with themselves. I mean, come on, that was always going to come out a later date and send the case down in flames.
I agree the lack of DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all. What I don't understand is how they can't just check CCTV- them entering her room, her entering a few mins later, them exiting the room after the time screams were heard.

fasttalkerchat

prinz wrote: »

Too many people watching CSI where there is almost always a nice lump of skin/drop of blood/etc somewhere very easy to find.

Depends how she was killed. Also they worked at the hotel.

StillWaters

In the photos of the suspects that appeared in the papers after they had been arrested it was clear one had been beaten.
And now with the lack of DNA evidence.

Im sure it's a wonderful scenic country, but the justice system stinks to high heaven to me. Dreadful for the victim's families, and the men on trial IF they are not guilty and just picked up to satisfy a braying media and startled tourist board.

In any case I'm don't think anyone can be sure justice will be done at this stage.

Nodin

Royal Legend wrote: »

With no DNA evidence surely the case will collapse, ...........

As oppossed to the utterly incriminating 'Hotel Workers DNA found in Hotel Room'.

scholar007

BunShopVoyeur wrote: »

Do you have special needs?

Honestly, you're spouting some shîte on a thread that isn't a place for piss taking or idiotic questions.

If someone has a different point of view to you - Do you normally accuse them of having special needs? Are people with special needs beneath you?

From your tone I think you would like to have a secret "shower" in your back garden where something other than water comes out for people with special needs.

goat2

remember back when this terrible crime happened, they have those card keys that are computerised, and they were able to tell that a certain card owner that was employed had used the card a short while before michelle entered the room,

plasmaguy

It sounds a bit of a banana republic to me, but then again many of these beauty spots often are.

By the sounds of it the investigation into the crime scene was shoddy to say the least.

goat2

i think that it is awful how these trials are run, i think of maddie mccanne, also the amanda knox case, the little girl of about fourteen that was found dead on the beach in goa i think, it was put down to accidental, until the mom saw her body and could see she was badly marked and a postmortom showed up a terrible death back then,
we should not be going on breaks in these places that we cannot trust to see after us when things go very wrong,

pwurple

It looks like the DNA evidence was poorly collected. The accused dna was found on the swipe card that was used to gain access they said today, but nothing else. And they hadn't sent in DNA samples of the officers either.

The police were woefully unused to cases like this by the sound of it.

So awful for the family. It is like the crime all over again going through this.

biko

scholar007, Buttonftw and BunShopVoyeur banned from this thread.

goat2

i also remember reading in some newspaper when it back then, that it was not unusual for staff to steal from guestrooms while the guests were out

Bacchus

This trial is insane and looks more and more like a stitch up as it goes on.

1. Police obviously didn't go over the crime scene competently
2. Accusations that the confession was beaten out of the accused
3. Police sergeant unable/unwilling to answer basic questions on the stand regarding those accusations
4. A key witness for the prosecution did not report what he "saw" until the following day
5. Another witness has left the country

And just now on RTE they are breaking the news that one of the defense lawyers has withdrawn.

Not to mention the sniggering and laughing in the audience and jury during the opening few days.

I feel so sorry for the McAreavey and Harte families. Even if the two accused men are punished, can they ever be certain that they got justice.

Laois_Man

I'm a bit suprised about the comments on this thread especially in the early pages relating to how the accused are definately guilty. You would think people would want to see actual evidence before saying such things!

The prosecution's case is still ongoing but they have not presented one shred of credible evidence yet. The evidence has been so poor so far, you would think the witnesses were actually being called to support the defense.

Yes, Michaela and her family deserve the culprits to be brought to justice. However, if there's a feeling at the end of this that they locked up just anyone to save face and protect their tourism industry, it just makes the tragedy even bigger for the Harte's and McAreavy's!

plasmaguy

How on earth could they allow a key witness leave the country? It beggers belief.

Did they have cameras in hallways by the way?

goat2

plasmaguy wrote: »

How on earth could they allow a key witness leave the country? It beggers belief.

Did they have cameras in hallways by the way?

how do we know, the key witness may have needed protection due to being asked to keep schnum, and had no other option

ArmaniJeanss

plasmaguy wrote: »

How on earth could they allow a key witness leave the country? It beggers belief.

How does it 'beggar belief' ? Witnesses aren't locked up in Ireland either, nor do they have their passports taken away or movements restricted.

sawakatoome

Laois_Man wrote: »

However, if there's a feeling at the end of this that they locked up just anyone to save face and protect their tourism industry, it just makes the tragedy even bigger for the Harte's and McAreavy's!

I really don't think anyone in Mauritius is looking to 'lock up' the accused just for the sake of saving face .. if this all eventually falls on the two resort workers' heads, if anything its a damning indictment of that nation's tourism industry.

goat2

on the news tonight it said, one of the defense lawyers has stepped down, because he was persent when the man he was defending wrote and signed the statement, which shows that the defendant was not beaten when he gave his statement as this lawyer was there, so there may be a lot of things that were untrue being said

LittleBook

Michaela Trial Descends Into Near Farce

In a final flourish before leaving the Supreme Court in Port Louis, Mr Rutnah declared to the jury that he would be back in "Arnold Schwarzenegger style".

...

The lawyer added: "I wish to withdraw, but I will be back — in Arnold Schwarzenegger style."

What ... a .... c*nt. That poor family having to go through this bullshít

Lollipops23

LittleBook wrote: »

What ... a .... c*nt. That poor family having to go through this bullshít

couldn't agree more. hope if he ever goes through what they're going through some prat makes it just as hard on him. he clearly has no sympathy for her family- even IF these guys didn't do it, the family did lose their daughter/wife/sister in horrific circumstances and he should have more respect.

Again I have to ask why his and the panto crowd's shenanigans hasn't been pulled up short- I don't have a huge amount of faith in Ireland or UK's justice systems a lot of the time, but I'm damn sure that behaviour wouldn't be permitted for 5mins.

El Siglo

I've never come across such a shambles of a trial, they are actually taking the piss. It must be absolutely awful for the Harte and McAreavey families.

Laois_Man

sawakatoome wrote: »

I really don't think anyone in Mauritius is looking to 'lock up' the accused just for the sake of saving face

I respectfully disagree. I'm not saying the 2 guys are definately innocent, but if after a couple of days they didn't have custody of someone who they genuinely thought was guilty, that's exactly what they would do!

sawakatoome

Laois_Man wrote: »

I respectfully disagree. I'm not saying the 2 guys are definately innocent, but if after a couple of days they didn't have custody of someone who they genuinely thought was guilty, that's exactly what they would do!

The people of Mauritius (depending so much on tourism as they do) will be hoping the explanation of this foreigner's death will be down to anything *other* than 'wrong-doing on the part of hotel resort workers'; if they do lock up someone just for the sake of it (i.e. frame), I'm sure they'd rather tourism wasn't affected.

christmas2012

sounds like more of a circus than anything very sad..

LittleBook

Reporter on Newstalk this morning described how John McAreavey testified that after he discovered Michaela's body he was devastated and hysterical. He was put in a jeep with four policemen and taken from the hotel.

The policemen stopped and bought fast food.

He distinctly remembers one of them saying to him "Why are you crying? You're only 26, you can find another wife!"

When they eventually arrived at the police station he was handcuffed and left alone on a bench for @ 6 hours.

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