McAreavey trial seeks more video footage

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Further CCTV footage has been requested at the trial of two men accused of murdering Michaela McAreavey in a bid to identify a mystery couple apparently rowing at the hotel where the honeymooner died.

While lawyers for the defendants claim the couple are the Co Tyrone teacher and her husband John, a high-ranking police witness told the court he was 100% sure they were not the McAreaveys.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Yoosoof Soopun said the couple captured in a grainy security camera image at the reception of the Legends Hotel the day the honeymooner died were German holidaymakers Harald Hoyer and Savarese Graziella.

The footage was filmed just after 3pm on Jan 10, 2011, around 15 minutes after the time the prosecution claim the daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football boss Mickey Harte died at the hands of two hotel employees.

Former room attendant Avinash Treebhoowon, 31, and floor supervisor Sandip Mooneea, 42, deny murder.

Judge Mr Justice Prithviraj Fecknah said that further examination was required before the couple’s identity could be confirmed.

“It hasn’t been proved and established beyond reasonable doubt this is the German couple,” he said.

After a request by defence barrister Rama Valayden, other CCTV footage taken from the hotel will be played to the court on Monday.

The three-minute clip from the Legends reception was played along with other security camera footage in front of a packed Supreme Court in Port Louis.

Widower John, his father Brendan, sister Claire, and brother- in-law Mark Harte watched from the public gallery.

At one juncture when another clip, apparently showing Mr and Mrs Mc-Areavey at the hotel spa the day before she died, he left the court, visibly emotional.

After the hazy images of the couple at reception were played, Mr Soopun told the jurors he was fully satisfied it was not the McAreaveys.

“I am 100% sure that the couple found at the reception at 15.02 is not the McAreavey couple and I am able to confirm it,” he said during dramatic exchanges with Mr Valayden.

“The couple have been identified and I am going to give you a name.”

The police officer then read and spelt out Mr Hoyer and Ms Graziella’s names. The assistant commissioner, said staff at reception believe it was the Germans in the pictures.

The court was also shown another clip from the reception area. Taken around 10 minutes after the unidentified couple leave, it shows a man walking up to the desk who Mr Soopun said was “definitely” Mr McAreavey.

This apparently is the moment he asked for a key to access his room.

He has already told the trial he last saw his wife at a poolside restaurant in the hotel at about 2.40pm when she went back to her room to fetch biscuits. He said he tried to get into their room half an hour later but when no one answered went to reception for help.

The timer on the CCTV was at 3.15pm when the bare-chested man strode up to reception alone.

Moments later he walked away, his request having been seemingly dealt with.

A bellboy has told police he accompanied Mr Mc-Areavey back through the hotel and opened the door of room 1025 where his 27-year-old bride was lying dead in a bath full of water.

The man in the earlier image at reception was also bare-chested but appeared to be wearing different shorts. The footwear also appears to be different.

The woman in the first image has dark hair tied up and was wearing a white and dark patterned bikini. Mrs McAreavey was found in a bikini but had a brown skirt over it.

The couple appear to be engaged in a heated discussion.

Yesterday, the doctor who performed an autopsy on Ms McAreavey said she died in a half-hour window between 2.30 and 3pm.

Earlier, the court was shown CCTV shots taken inside the spa of the hotel the previous day. A couple, understood to be the Mc-Areaveys, are seen talking with a staff member at the front desk.

Mr Soopun said he was not in a position to confirm the couple was definitely Mr and Mrs McAreavey. But when the footage was played, Mr McAreavey left the court. His sister Claire followed. They returned a few minutes later.

Mr Soopun said police had taken statements from the staff members pictured at reception yesterday. He said there was only a need to carry them out when the identity of the couple became “an issue in court”.

The barrister asked if he had attempted to get a statement from the German couple at the time. “No, because I was satisfied there was obviously differences between the McAreavey couple and this German couple,” he replied.

He said the German couple arrived at Legends on Jan 6 and returned to Germany on Jan 19.

Mr Valayden claimed another German couple — the Zimmermanns — were staying in room 1105. The assistant commissioner said he was not aware of that.

He asked the witness did he know that the Germans checked out of Legends on Jan 12 in the wake of the murder. Mr Soopun said he did not know that.

The lawyer then asked him to produce footage from Jan 12 that showed the couple checking out. He had earlier asked for pictures from a beach at the hotel focusing on the 3pm to 3.30pm timeframe on the day of the murder.

Mr Soopun indicated he would not be able to source the specific clips at short notice. As a consequence, proceedings were adjourned until Monday. Home