The prosecution has closed its case against the two men accused of murdering Michaela McAreavey after the defendants and jurors visited the Mauritian hotel where the honeymooner was found dead.
A day has been set aside for legal argument in the trial today, ahead of the anticipated hearing of the first defence opening statement later in the week.
Security was tight outside the Lux hotel, formerly named Legends, as accusedAvinash Treebhoowon and Sandip Mooneea, both ex-employees, were driven inside to observe as the jury was given a private tour of the crime scene and other relevant locations.
Afterwards, proceedings returned to the Supreme Court in Port Louis, where it was confirmed that a bellboy who was one of the first at Room 1025 when the Co Tyrone teacher was found strangled would not be giving evidence because prosecutors had been unable to trace his whereabouts, as he is now working on a cruise ship.
Lawyers for the state and defence briefly argued whether Ms McAreavey’s widower, John, could be considered an "independent" witness, before Mr Justice Prithviraj Fecknah asked chief prosecutor Mehdi Manrakhan if he would be calling any more evidence.
The barrister replied: "No, my lord. I close the case for the state."
Earlier, the nine jurors and two defendants were accompanied by the judge and defence and prosecution lawyers on the 90-minute exercise at the gated beachside resort in the north of the island at Grand Gaube.
The party were shown the since-renumbered Room 1025 where the 27-year-old daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte was strangled in Jan 2011.
They also visited the nearby poolside restaurant where she lunched with her husband before her death.
The prosecution claim she left him there to return to the room to fetch biscuits for her tea and walked in on Treebhoowon and Mooneea stealing. They deny murder.
Barristers for both men had made a joint motion to court requesting that the jury visit take place.
Police officers patrolled outside the main gate and on the shore line in a bid to ensure no unauthorised people gained access to the hotel during the morning.
The jury were also shown 10 other rooms that have been mentioned during the previous 20 days of the trial and other significant hotel sites and landmarks referred to in court.
Legends was renamed the Lux Hotel following the murder.
Mr Manrakhan and defence lawyers Rama Valayden, representing Mooneea, and Sanjeev Teeluckdharry, for Treebhoowon, were in attendance on site.
When proceedings resumed in court, the judge asked the defendants whether they wished to make any comments on the visit or raise any concerns.
Through an interpreter, Creole speaker Treebhoowon, aged 31, from Plaine des Roches, said he had no comments to make.
Mooneea, aged 42, from Petit Raffray, said: "No, my lord."
No members of the Harte or McAreavey families were in court for the exchanges.
Focus then turned to witness number 28 on the prosecution list, former Legends bellboy Rajiv Bhujun.
Mr Manrakhan told the judge he would be unable to produce him to court.
"I wish to inform court that Mr Bhujun is not in the country," he said.
"We are given to understand that he’s taken up employment on a cruise ship and we are not in a position to reach him and have him tendered for cross-examination."
Mr McAreavey has told the trial he was unable to access his room when he went to look for his wife and so walked to reception to get a new key.
Staff sent Mr Bhujun back with him to Room 1025 to open the door.
He claims he did not enter but has told police moments later he heard Mr McAreavey scream and rushed back to see his wife lying motionless on the floor.
Mr Teeluckdharry then asked the court if the bellboy’s statements could be admitted as evidence, claiming: "He was the first independent witness to bepresent on the locus."
Mr Manrakhan objected to the statements being admitted and queried his rival counsel’s choice of words.
"I wish to put it on record that my friend refers to Mr Bhujun as the first independent witness. I don’t know what he means by this: John McAreavey is also an independent witness in this case," he said.
When Mr Manrakhan confirmed that he would be calling no further witnesses, the judge told the jury that the state case had come to a close.
"The prosecution has put before you all the evidence on which it’s relying toprove the case," he said.
Mr Teeluckdharry then produced a list of the witnesses he proposed to call.
The jury will return to court tomorrow.