Michaela McAreavey murder trial: Jury sent home for day

The jury in the Michaela McAreavey murder trial has been asent home for the day. They will begin hearing evidence tomorrow.

The judge sent the the jury to a hotel for the night as lawyers remained in court to discuss legal issues for the remainder of the day.

Six men and three women make up the panel that will hear the case against the hotel employees charged with murdering Ms McAreavey.

Earlier, defendants Avinash Treebhoowoon and Sandip Moneea were led into the dock of court as almost 200 people crammed into every available space inside. Scores stood at the back.

Treebhoowoon, from Plaine des Roches, and Moneea, from Petit Raffray, deny premeditated murder.

Relatives of the accused were also jostled as police struggled to control the flow of people into court.

Michaela's husband John McAreavey was accompanied by his sister Claire, father Brendan and a brother of his late wife, Mark Harte.

Mr McAreavey sat in court for a short period but was then was asked to leave because he is a witness in the case.

Mrs McAreavey was found dead in the bathtub of her luxury hotel room on the Indian Ocean island paradise last January, just two weeks after her wedding.