McAreavey leaves amid jubilant scenes

The guards could hardly shield their anger, bundling throngs of celebrating supporters aside they escorted their erstwhile prisoners across the courtyard one last time.

The snarling officers burst through the jubilant crowds like a human battering ram, whisking Avinash Treebhoowon and Sandip Mooneea to the back of the court building at almost a sprint.

But moments later, the pair walked back into the paved yard on their own, as free men.

“Justice, justice,” the crowds chanted in unison in jubilant scenes not unlike those that would greet the fall of a dictator.

Fireworks were set off at the gates of the old colonial court buildings.

Emotion had overwhelmed the defendants 10 minutes earlier inside a tension-wracked Courtroom 5 when the verdicts were read.

Mr Treebhoowon threw his hands to the heavens as the jury foreman delivered the words he had prayed for: “Not guilty”.

Sections of the public gallery erupted in response, as the former hotel cleaner crumpled and wept in the dock.

Judge Prithviraj Fecknah called for order before the jurors’ representative could reveal the second verdict.

“Not guilty.”

Mr Mooneea also broke down. He turned to his co-accused and they embraced, as the relatives of both men did likewise in the benches to their right.

The only row that remained seated was where John McAreavey and his family witnessed the outcome they had feared.

The widower, his face ashen, dropped his head as the result of the jurors’ deliberations reverberated.

His sister Claire, father Brendan, and brother-in-law Mark Harte looked just as devastated.

It was clear they had no intention of lingering. With solemn dignity, they rose and walked at pace out of the courtroom.

In his final remarks to the court, chief prosecutor Mehdi Manrakhan cut the pose of an utterly deflated man. “I conducted this trial to the best of my ability,” he said, almost apologetically.

About 250 people had crammed into the claustrophobic court as the verdicts were announced just after 6pm.

Bursting outside, they made the noise of 10 times that number.

Five minutes ahead of them had walked Mr McAreavey and his family — in silent despair.

To read more on the Michaela McAreavey murder trial, click here