‘SHE WAS A GEM’

THREE people are set to be charged today in connection with the death of Michaela Harte, who was strangled while on her honeymoon in Mauritius.

It is understood that police officers have completed preliminary inquiries and are satisfied they have enough evidence to bring the three before the courts.

Ms Harte was on honeymoon on the island when her husband found her strangled in their room in the Legends Hotel complex.

A distraught Mickey Harte last night said his family were going through the “worst nightmare anyone can imagine”.

The GAA legend described his 27-year-old daughter as a “gem” and said their hearts were broken.

“I just loved her to bits and so did her whole family,” he said. “We are so devastated. 27 years of a wonderful wee girl who grew up into a beautiful lady, just so radiant, just so special. We will miss her so much.”

The Tyrone football manager said their hearts went out to her husband John McAreavey, who, he said, was “devastated” and “isolated” at their hotel.

According to local media reports, police said residents at the five-star Legends Resort had verified that Mr McAreavey was in the hotel restaurant at the time of his wife’s death.

A postmortem found she was strangled to death with bare hands after a struggle. There were reports that blood was found under her nails and that Mr McAreavey had volunteered a blood sample. Police confirmed he was not a suspect.

The couple had only been married for 12 days.

Mauritius Tourism Minister Nando Bodha said when he went to visit Mr McAreavey and asked did he have a message for people in Ireland, he said: “I love my wife.”

Superintendent Yussuf Soopun of the Mauritius Major Crime Investigation Team said as early as yesterday morning the murder would be “solved” quickly.

“We are confident that by this afternoon the case will be solved and we have a list of six potential suspects,” he told Morning Ireland.

He said Mr McAreavey was questioned and had been very co-operative: “He’s not being treated as a suspect, but we have other potential suspects which we believe will bring us to a positive result.”

He said a “few” people would be arrested and they believed the suspects were from the local area.

He said the killer had used a hotel card to access the couple’s room and that Ms Harte may have been killed after walking in on them.

Later in the day, Supt Soopun told local media: “We have questioned the people that had access to the victim’s room.”

In relation to Mr McAreavey, he said: “We’ve questioned him and we’re satisfied with the explanation that he has provided.

“We also verified with other tourists who confirmed the victim’s husband was in the hotel restaurant at the time.”

There were local reports yesterday that the number of people questioned had risen to 10.

Police are investigating the possibility that unauthorised hotel cards might have been used to get into the room.

There are no cameras covering the corridor in the hotel.

It was not clear yesterday exactly when Ms Harte’s body was discovered, when she was last seen and there was some confusion as to whether hotel staff were with Mr McAreavey when he discovered the body. There were reports the room was “in a state of disorder” when Mr McAreavey entered.

Members of both the Harte and McAreavey families are expected to arrive in Mauritius today.