Thursday, 13 January 2011

Mauritius honeymoon murder:

hotel worker 'confessed' to Michaela McAreavey killing

One of the hotel workers charged with murdering Michaela McAreavey on her honeymoon in Mauritius has confessed to the brutal killing, police have claimed.

Suspect Avinash Treebhoowoon: Mauritius honeymoon murder: hotel worker 'confessed' to Michaela McAreavey killing
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Suspect Avinash Treebhoowoon who police say has confessed to killing Michaela McAreavey on her honeymoon in Mauritius. Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Avinash Treebhoowoon, 29, allegedly admitted to officers that he killed the daughter of one of Ireland's best-known sporting figures in a panic after she caught him rummaging through her belongings.

The cleaner, from Plaine des Roches, had allegedly entered her luxury hotel room to steal jewellery and money after claiming to have found the door to room 1025 ajar.

Hotel records, however, are said to show that someone gained access using a false electronic key card at 3.42pm on Monday, two minutes before she then entered the room.

The Daily Telegraph can disclose that Treebhoowoon, who claimed in court that he was beaten by police, is to lead detectives in a “reconstruction” of the incident at the hotel later on Thursday.

Detectives have also charged two other hotel workers over the death that has shocked Ireland where Mrs McAreavey’s family are considered national celebrities. Gaelic football is the most popular sport in Ireland.

The teacher, 28, had returned to the room to collect biscuits for afternoon tea she was due to share with her husband at a restaurant in the popular Indian Ocean island hotel.

The former beauty queen, whose father Mickey Harte is Gaelic football's most high profile team managers, was then strangled after first trying to fight off her attackers.

Her body was dumped face up in the room’s bath with the running water, which police believe was a desperate attempt to cover up her death as a drowning suicide.

A post mortem concluded she died as a result of "asphyxia due to compression of the neck". Several bruises were also found on her head.

Skin tissue was found underneath her fingernails, indicating Mrs McAreavey, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, had “fought for her life”. It is thought that one of her attackers may have been cut in the face as a result of the fight.

While police have ruled her widower John McAreavey, 30, out as a suspect, witnesses have allegedly told detectives that the pair had a disagreement the night before she died.

The Daily Telegraph can also disclose that witnesses claim to have seen the accountant and prominent footballer ask a hotel employee to find a priest. It is not known why he made such a request.

Sandip Moneea, a 41 year-old floor supervisor of Petit Raffray, denies murder while Raj Theekoy, 33, a cleaner from Ramnarain, Cottage, has denied conspiracy to murder. Detectives privately believe that more arrests could occur.

All three workers were employed at the five-star Legends Hotel, a popular honeymoon resort in the village of Grande Gaube, on the country’s north coast. Theekoy is said to have made a statement to police.

“Avinash confessed that he was in the room during this terrible incident,” a police spokeswoman told The Daily Telegraph.

“He was in the room to commit larceny and steal her belongings.

“Unfortunately at the same time Michaela entered the room. Avinash confessed that he then assaulted her.”

The spokeswoman confirmed that witnesses had reported seeing the pair argue on Sunday night and that Mr McAreavey had asked for a priest.

She declined to say why but added that detectives had cleared him of any involvement after interviewing him at length.

Dhun Iswar Rampersad, the Mauritius police chief, later told reporters that Theekoy had admitted to hearing noises from the room and to having seen someone coming out of the room a few minutes later "in a strange state".

He alleged that after police questioned Treebhoowoon he "confessed to police that a few minutes before the victim came in (he was) in the room stealing purses full of money and jewellery that were on the table”.

Mrs McAreavey’s family have arrived on the island to collect her body, which will be repatriated back to Ireland as early as Thursday night.

Brendan McMahon, Dublin's ambassador to South Africa, has also arrived on the island to give consular assistance. Her widower had earlier issued an emotional statement paying tribute to his bride of less than a fortnight.

"I appreciate all the prayers and messages of support. I pray that God gives us the strength and faith that Michaela has, to cope with our horrific loss," he said in a statement.

"She is a gift from god and I now have an angel."

“My beautiful wife, my best friend, my rock Michaela, has been taken from me and I still can't take it in.”

He added: "Our hopes, our dreams and our future together are gone. I love my wife very, very much and my world revolved around her.

“I can't describe in words how lost I feel as Michaela is not just the light of my life – she is my life."

Paul Jones, the CEO of the group that owns Legends Hotel, offered his condolences to the families.

"We are a responsible company devoted to providing a quality service up to international standards,” he said in a statement.

“I've been working in the tourism sector in Mauritius for 35 years and this is the first time I've been faced by a tragedy on this scale.

"The police are conducting an inquiry and we await the results of the investigation."

The three alleged killers appeared in Mapou District Court on Wednesday charged over her murder.

They are due back in court next week. They have yet to enter pleas. A trial could occur within six months.

Harte tragedy: Michaela McAreavey's remains begin the long journey home to Ireland


Thursday, 13 January 2011

Balloons with the couple's names giving directions to St Malachy's Church outside Ballygwley where they recently got married

Balloons with the couple's names giving directions to St Malachy's Church outside Ballygwley where they recently got married

The remains of honeymoon murder victim Michaela McAreavey is being flown back to Co Tyrone from Mauritius.

Her widower John and her brother Mark were on the island as her coffin was taken from the hospital mortuary to the airport, where it will be flown to the London on the first stage of her journey back home. It will then be flown on to Belfast.

It is expected the funeral of Mrs McAreavey - the daughter of Mickey Harte, the celebrated manager of Ireland's all-conquering Tyrone Gaelic football team - will take place close to her Co Tyrone home early next week, in the same church where she wed only weeks ago.

The repatriation is taking place as police continue their investigation into the murder in the luxury Legends Hotel on Monday.

To leave a message of condolence to the Harte family please click here

Three hotel workers have appeared in court charged in connection with the murder of the 27-year-old teacher, whose body was found by her husband in her hotel room. She had been strangled.

The Mauritius Police Force said the two men charged with the murder were Avinash Treebhoowoon, 29, a room attendant from Plaine des Roches, and Sandip Moneea, 41, a floor supervisor from Petit Raffray. Room attendant Raj Theekoy, 33, from Ramnarain Cottage, faces the conspiracy charge.

Irish Ambassador in South Africa Brendan McMahon, who is on the holiday island, said his immediate aim was to get Mrs McAreavey's remains and family members home as soon as possible.

"We are certainly very hopeful this will happen (on Thursday) evening," he told RTE. "We hope and pray there will be not any last minute hitches."

Mr McAreavey, who had been on his own on the island until relatives arrived, said in a statement: "My beautiful wife, my best friend, my rock Michaela, has been taken from me and I still can't take it in. Our hopes, our dreams and our future together are gone. I love my wife very, very much and my world revolved around her."

308 golfers set for first test at Asian Tour qualifying school

2011-01-13 02:19:21 GMT2011-01-13 10:19:21(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 308 golfers from over 30 countries and regions will be aiming to cross the first hurdle at the Asian Tour qualifying school when the first stage takes place over three venues in Hua Hin, Thailand from Wednesday.

The Imperial Lakeview Golf Club will host 130 players where the top-26 finishers after four rounds will qualify for the all-important final stage from Jan. 19 to 22 while 122 will feature at the Majestic Creek Golf Resort with 24 tickets available for the final stage. A total of 56 players will challenge for 11 final stage tickets at the Springfield Royal Country Club.

Currently, a total of 117 players are already exempted into the final stage presented by the Sports Authority of Thailand to be held at Imperial Lakeview and Springfield Royal. The top-40 finishers will earn playing rights for the 2011 season.

A provisional schedule with a minimum 25 tournaments has been announced for the Asian Tour in 2011.

Players who compete in the qualifying school will also be eligible for memberships on the Asian Development Tour, the region's secondary circuit, where a minimum of five tournaments will be staged in the new season.

In total, this year's field of 425 hopefuls exceed last year's turnout of 376 players and they will be aiming to emulate the feats of past qualifying school graduates such as Thai hero Thongchai Jaidee, a three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion and Asia's No. 1 Noh Seung-yul of South Korea.

Sweden's Rikard Karlberg, who finished third on the Order of Merit last season with two victories, also earned his card in 2010 through qualifying school.

Other graduates who have become Tour champions include South Korea's Charlie Wi, India's Shiv Kapur and Arjun Atwal, England's Simon Dyson, Japan's Tetsuji Hiratsuka, Malaysia's Ben Leong, Australian Scott Hend and more recently last year Siddikur of Bangladesh and South African Peter Karmis.

FIFA: Egypt retreats to 10th place of world ranking

2011-01-13 02:28:44 GMT2011-01-13 10:28:44(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

CAIRO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Egypt ranked the 10th place in the January edition of the FIFA world rankings released on Wednesday, the highest among all African and Arab teams.

The Pharaohs, who occupied the ninth place last month, scored 1,036 points in the latest ranking and was overtaken by the Croatian team.

Changing of ranks between the two teams is the only difference among the top 20 teams compared with the December edition.

World champion Spain ended in first, followed by the Netherlands, while Germany ranked the third.

Algeria ranked second at the Arab level, while Ghana obtained the same position in Africa.

Ahmed's brace sink China as hosts Qatar get crucial victory

2011-01-13 02:29:41 GMT2011-01-13 10:29:41(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

DOHA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Striker Yusef Ahmed's first half brace help hosts Qatar get much-needed three points over China to avoid early exit at the second round game of Group A here on Wednesday.

Ahmed, a substitute in Qatar's defeat to Uzbekistan in the curtain-raiser, proved coach Bruno Metsu's trust with fantastic performance. The lively hitman took a nice touch before firing an unstoppable out-spinning volley from the edge of the box in the 27th minute to break the deadlock, and drove home with a nice low shot to beat keeper Zeng Cheng.

China now sit at the second place together with Qatar, and Uzbekistan is on top of Group A with two straight wins. While Kuwait is at the bottom with two defeats.

China coach Gao Hongbo made three changes to the starting eleven from the first group game agaisnt Kuwait. Striker Gao Lin, midfielder Yu Tao and keeper Zeng Cheng were among the starting list. Metsu also made three changes as his Chinese counterpart, he sent on Ahmed, Mohamed El Sayed and Kasola.

Gao's decisions seemed to be wrong as keeper Zeng Cheng reacted slowly to the two goals and Gao Lin was replaced by Yang Xu on 42 minutes. Without injured play maker Fabio Cesar, Metsu's tactics proved to be right as Ahmed was shinning upfront.

The hosts pushed up with fierce attacks since the beginning of the game, and China produced threats by sharp counter-attacking. Deng Zhuoxiang, Gao Lin and Zhao Peng had three great chances in the first half, but ended in bad finishing.

China brought on Shalke 04 midfielder Hao Junmin and Zhou Haibin to strengthen the attacking power, but their opponents created more threats. Sebasitan Soria could have made it 3-0 in the 65 minute, only to find his bullet shot hit the crossbar.

Ronalidiho receives hero's welcome from 20,000 Flamengo fans

2011-01-13 02:30:25 GMT2011-01-13 10:30:25(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian striker Ronaldinho got a hero's welcome as 20,000 fans greeted him at a ceremony in the Flamengo stadium here on Wednesday.

Early in the morning, fans started gathering at the Flamengo stadium. Dressed in the team's red and black shirt, with many wearing Ronaldinho masks, fans waited for hours to witness the player go up on the stage that had been set up for the ceremony.

Holding hands with Flamengo's president Patricia Amorim, Ronaldinho arrived on the stage, surrounded by bodyguards, after passing the grandstand with great difficulty.

"Ronaldinho is ours!" said Flamengo president Patricia Amorim.

After 10 year's football in Europe, The FIFA Player of the Year 2004 and 2005 finally retuned to his homland.

"Thank you for caring. I want to say that I hope to repay it all. Nation, I'm closed to you. Now I'm Mengao (the nickname of Flamengo fan)" Ronaldinho said.

The 30-year old star signed for the Brazilian football club on Monday. It is reported that Flamengo paid AC Milan three million euros and Ronaldinho will earn more than 600,000 dollors a month. The striker will play for Flamengo until June 2014.

According to Rio's police, there were at least 20,000 fans on site.

Flamengo won the Brazilian championship in 2009, but it was very close to relegation last year.

Buffon to play comeback match against Catania

2011-01-13 10:31:13(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

ROME, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Italian Serie A side Juventus announced on Wednesday that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will make his first appearance of the season against Catania in the Italian Cup on Thursday.

Due to back injury, Buffon has been out of action since the World Cup in South Africa last June.

Juventus now ranked the sixth in the Italian first division soccer league and have conceded seven goals in losing their last two league games.