“I WILL be back, in Arnold Schwarzenegger style,” said Ravi Rutnah with a grin as he informed the judge he was formally withdrawing from the trial.
With that, the junior defence counsel picked up his files, gave his mobile number to a journalist and marched theatrically out of court.
Throughout the trial, Rutnah has sounded like someone who has watched one too many TV courtroom dramas.
He has peppered his cross- examinations with jokes and heavy exclamations and generally appeared to relish the spotlight of international press coverage.
He found himself in the full glare of that spotlight yesterday.
In his evidence, Chief Insp Luciano Gerard detailed police dealings with Rutnah, who was representing Avinash Treebhoowoon, one of the men accused of murdering Michaela McAreavey.
On January 12th, two days after the killing, the detective said, an eyewitness named Raj Theekoy incriminated Treebhoowoon in the crime.
When Treebhoowoon was confronted with this, he confessed. Police then rang Rutnah to ask him to come to the station.
He replied that he would come “right away”, but it was an hour and 20 minutes before the lawyer showed up – he had been “working with the international police”, he explained.
By then Treebhoowoon was too tired to give an interview, so Rutnah ate a meal with police officers at the station. “It was a cordial, friendly atmosphere,” Chief Insp Gerard said. “I still remember there was fried rice and I’m not fond of fried rice so I gave him my portion – it was takeaway.”
“That was very kind of you,” remarked Mehdi Manrakhan, for the prosecution.
Even Brendan McAreavey, John’s father, allowed himself a smile.
When the judge returned after lunch, Rutnah made his announcement. Given the “accusatory attack on my professional integrity” in the evidence of Chief Insp Gerard, he would be stepping aside from the trial. His black robes had barely cleared the door when the defence then announced it would be calling a number of extra witnesses – and one of them would be Ravi Rutnah.
The prosecution said it would need time to consider its response, so the judge adjourned for the day.
