McAreavey accused watched husband cry for help

Two hotel workers accused of murdering honeymooner Michaela McAreavey in Mauritius watched on as her husband cried out for someone to save his bride, their trial has heard.

A cleaner who claims he saw the defendants emerge from the hotel room where the Co Tyrone teacher died shortly after hearing her scream, told the court the pair returned to the scene soon afterwards as crowds gathered.

Prosecution witness Raj Theekoy said the accused — Sandip Mooneea and Avinash Treebhoowon — ran with him to room 1025 of the exclusive Legends Hotel when the alarm was raised that something was wrong.

Testifying at the Supreme Court in Port Louis, Mr Theekoy said they had followed a sprinting hotel manager Brice Lunot and other staff as they rushed to the room.

“I went to room 1025, the door was open, I saw the dead body of the lady lying on the floor,” he said.

Mr Theekoy said Mr Lunot tried to compress Mrs McAreavey’s chest as her distressed husband John called out. “He was crying and said, please save my wife,” he said.

The witness said he and the two defendants did not enter the room and were soon told by Mr Lunot to leave the scene.

Mr Theekoy later had his account challenged by a defence lawyer.

Under cross-examination it emerged that he called his wife minutes after he heard the cries from room 1025, despite telling police he initially told no-one.

Fellow Legends cleaner Mr Treebhoowoon, aged 31, and floor supervisor Mr Mooneea, aged 42, deny strangling the 27-year-old daughter of Tyrone gaelic football boss Mickey Harte in the gated beach-side complex last January.

The prosecution claims the newlywed momentarily left her husband beside a pool to fetch biscuits from their room when she walked in and caught the defendants stealing.

Mr Theekoy was originally arrested as a suspect and subsequently charged with conspiracy to murder. However, that charge has since been dropped and he has been granted immunity from prosecution.

Earlier he told the jury of the moment he claims he heard Mrs McAreavey scream out in pain from behind the closed door of room 1025. “I started hearing a woman screaming three times, aghh. She was screaming in pain.”

He said he was scared and initially thought a husband and wife were having a fight. But then he claims he saw the two defendants emerge from the direction of the room as he hid by room 1021. It was around 2.45pm on Jan 10, 2011.

Mrs McAreavey’s sister- in-law Claire McAreavey and father-in-law Brendan McAreavey watched from the public gallery as the key prosecution witness testified to a silent court room.

Her widower John is elsewhere on the island, unable to attend proceedings until he is called as a witness.

A short time before the murder, Mr Theekoy claims he was cleaning room 1012 when the two defendants walked in. He alleges Mr Treebhoowoon told Mr Mooneea that a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign was hanging outside the room.

The room attendant told police that Mr Mooneea then called the room to see if there was an answer. With no-one picking up, Mr Theekoy said Mr Mooneea sent Mr Treebhoowoon to clean the room, with the supervisor exiting behind him five minutes later.

About 50 minutes later, Mr Theekoy told the court he headed toward 1025 to find Mr Treebhoowoon.

But when he got there he noticed the door was shut, with Mr Treebhoowoon’s cleaning trolley outside it, and then he heard a woman cry out.

Mr Theekoy conceded that from his viewpoint at 1021 he did not have a clear view, as it was along an L-shaped corridor from 1025. However, he insisted he had a view of the defendants’ side profiles when they emerged, with Mr Treebhoowoon turning to face him at one point.

“I saw them but they didn’t see me,” he said.

Mr Theekoy said both men looked anxious and Mr Treebhoowoon’s face appeared wet.

The 35-year-old former hairdresser said he then left the vicinity of 1021 and went to room 1011. A short time later he said Mr Treebhoowoon came in.

“I asked him what happened in 1025 and he said nothing was wrong,” he told the jury. Mr Theekoy said his fellow room attendant then told him he had to go and get the tyre of his service trolley pumped up, even though it did not appear to be flat to him.

He said he then saw Mr Treebhoowoon and Mr Mooneea talking together in a corner but he could not hear what they were saying.

Soon after the alarm was raised when Mrs McAreavey was found dead — prompting the three of them to run to 1025.

After being told to leave the scene, Mr Theekoy said he again confronted Mr Treebhoowoon. He said he challenged him: “I asked you just before what happened in room 1025, so what’s that?” Mr Theekoy said Mr Treebhoowoon did not answer him but Mr Mooneea then intervened and threatened him.

The witness told Mr Justice Prithviraj Fecknah the accused warned him: “If you open your mouth I will involve you in that case.” He said he did not originally report what he saw because he was scared at this threat.

When he was arrested by police the following day he also did not give them any details.

Mr Theekoy said a brief meeting with his wife and mother during a court appearance the next day convinced him to reveal all.