Hotel played ‘dirty game’ during murder inquiry

Management at the hotel where Michaela McAreavey was murdered failed to cooperate properly with police and were more concerned with damage to its reputation than catching the killer, a court has heard.

In a scathing attack on an alleged “dirty game” played by the Legends Hotel, a police chief claimed Ms McAreavey’s husband John was initially arrested as a suspect because information that would have eliminated him from inquires was withheld from detectives.

Giving evidence at the trial of two former Legends employees accused of the crime, assistant commissioner of police Yoosoof Soopun further alleged that management provided material to “the defence” which it should have given to police.