McAreavey trial hears of alleged police torture

ONE OF the men accused of murdering Michaela McAreavey has claimed police said his wife would be sent to Ireland to live with the victim’s widower if he did not confess to the killing.

Hotel worker Avinash Treebhoowoon says the confession he signed after the killing in January last year was given under duress, and has since retracted it. He says that, while in custody, officers plunged his head into a bucket of water, severely beat him and told him “the government is in our hands and no one can touch us”.

However, a senior detective rejected the defendant’s claims as “ridiculous” and “totally false”.

Mr Treebhoowoon (30) and his fellow hotel employee Sandip Moneea (42) deny murdering Ms McAreavey, the daughter of Tyrone football manager Mickey Harte, while she was on honeymoon with her husband, John, at Legends Hotel in Mauritius.

On the eighth day of the murder trial, defence counsel Sandeep Teeluckdharry, representing Mr Treebhoowoon, said his client reported being beaten and tortured so severely that he vomited blood and had difficulties hearing in one ear.

Under cross-examination, Chief Insp Luciano Gerard, a senior officer from the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT), was accused of making threats to Mr Treebhoowoon during questioning about the killing.

“My instructions are that you, Chief Insp Gerard, were tired and exasperated and you said the following: ‘What did you say? You were beaten? That was not a beating. That was a preview. Now speak’,” said Mr Teeluckdharry.

“And you ordered your officers: ‘Take a van, bring his mother and father and lock them all up’.” The officer vehemently denied the claim. “That’s totally false and ridiculous, my lord,” he replied.

Mr Teeluckdharry continued: “You also shouted the following at him: ‘This man , his wife is dead. He will need a woman to live with. That’s why we will take away your wife, take her passport and send her to Ireland to live with the husband. We will do this because the government is in our hands and no one can touch us’.”

“Never my lord,” Insp Gerard replied.

Mr Teeluckdharry said his client then fell at the officer’s feet and “implored for pity” before doing the same at the feet of other officers.

“I say again, this is totally false and ridiculous,” said Insp Gerard.

Counsel claimed an officer held Mr Treebhoowoon’s head in a bucket of water to make him confess, causing him to vomit blood and “feel he [was] at the mercy of MCIT for a single breath of air”. This was also denied by the detective.

Earlier the jury heard that John McAreavey was questioned at a police station until past midnight on the day his wife died, before eventually being allowed return to his hotel.

Mr Teeluckdharry asked Insp Gerard whether he was aware that travel documents were also taken from Mr McAreavey. Insp Gerard replied: “It was well afterwards that I became aware that his documents had been taken.” The officer said he did not know why the items had been seized.

Meanwhile it was confirmed that Ravi Rutnah, who was acting for Mr Treebhoowoon in court until he withdrew on Wednesday, will appear as a witness at the trial.

Mehdi Manrakhan, for the prosecution, said he would not object to Mr Rutnah being called to give evidence. Nor would he object to the introduction before the court of a letter written by Mr Rutnah alleging police brutality by officers investigating Ms McAreavey’s killing.

Mr Rutnah stepped down after claiming Insp Gerard had attacked his professional integrity while giving evidence. Insp Gerard made a series of claims about Mr Rutnah, saying he was late arriving for a meeting with his client, witnessed him giving a confession and shared food in a friendly atmosphere with police officers in the days after the killing.