Murder trial in Mauritius

LittleBook · 28-05-2012 01:35PM

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

In fairness it sounds like the defence team is doing exactly what they should be doing, in other words, doing their job. Pick holes in the evidence of the prosection, and put forward some other alternate theories, however loose they may be. A two pronged attack.

Agreed, but there is a level of professionalism that should be expected from the defence that seems to be completely absent here.

The defence lawyers knew full well that the "sex guidebook" was an insert from a magazine but did their utmost to make it seem seedy.

Their carry-on in the courtroom is offensive.

When questioning a police mapper on the dimensions of his drawings, Rama Valayden, counsel for co-accused Sandip Moneea, thought it appropriate to quip: "Size matters."

"Can we break at 2.30pm?" the [defence]lawyer enquired. "I am feeling exhausted."

And the behaviour of the defence lawyers cheering section (the future of Mauritian law) is reprehensible.

The whole thing reminds me of this quote:

Lionel Hutz wrote:

I'll be defending you on the charge of ... MURDER ONE!!? Wow, even if I lose I'll be famous!

Royal Legend · 28-05-2012 04:15PM

With no DNA evidence surely the case will collapse, not that i know anything about their legal system, this seems to be fubar, going by the latest, they don't even have the right suspects

and the police beat the s h 1 t out of them and then go on the stand and does'nt even have the balls to answer the questions, unreal.
I feel sorry for the McAreaveys and the Hartes

seamus · 28-05-2012 04:23PM

Royal Legend wrote: »

With no DNA evidence surely the case will collapse

DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all in reality. Absence of someone's DNA isn't proof that they were absent. Just like the existence of their DNA wouldn't prove they were there at the time of the murder.

prinz · 28-05-2012 04:29PM

seamus wrote: »

DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all in reality. Absence of someone's DNA isn't proof that they were absent. Just like the existence of their DNA wouldn't prove they were there at the time of the murder.

Too many people watching CSI where there is almost always a nice lump of skin/drop of blood/etc somewhere very easy to find.

Lord Trollington · 28-05-2012 04:29PM

seamus wrote: »

DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all in reality. Absence of someone's DNA isn't proof that they were absent.

I hope the Harte family lawyer has something up his sleeve. Whilst its not the be all and end all, unless there's some kind of evidence that places them in the room there will be doubts about them. I'm having my doubts as it is.

Lollipops23 · 28-05-2012 04:33PM

If it's true that the police beat the suspects senseless, I hope they're happy with themselves. I mean, come on, that was always going to come out a later date and send the case down in flames.
I agree the lack of DNA evidence isn't the be-all and end-all. What I don't understand is how they can't just check CCTV- them entering her room, her entering a few mins later, them exiting the room after the time screams were heard.

fasttalkerchat · 28-05-2012 04:34PM

prinz wrote: »

Too many people watching CSI where there is almost always a nice lump of skin/drop of blood/etc somewhere very easy to find.

Depends how she was killed. Also they worked at the hotel.

StillWaters · 28-05-2012 06:07PM

In the photos of the suspects that appeared in the papers after they had been arrested it was clear one had been beaten.
And now with the lack of DNA evidence.

Im sure it's a wonderful scenic country, but the justice system stinks to high heaven to me. Dreadful for the victim's families, and the men on trial IF they are not guilty and just picked up to satisfy a braying media and startled tourist board.

In any case I'm don't think anyone can be sure justice will be done at this stage.

Nodin · 28-05-2012 06:13PM

Royal Legend wrote: »

With no DNA evidence surely the case will collapse, ...........

As oppossed to the utterly incriminating 'Hotel Workers DNA found in Hotel Room'.

scholar007 · 28-05-2012 07:49PM

BunShopVoyeur wrote: »

Do you have special needs?

Honestly, you're spouting some shîte on a thread that isn't a place for piss taking or idiotic questions.

If someone has a different point of view to you - Do you normally accuse them of having special needs? Are people with special needs beneath you?

From your tone I think you would like to have a secret "shower" in your back garden where something other than water comes out for people with special needs.

goat2 · 28-05-2012 07:56PM

remember back when this terrible crime happened, they have those card keys that are computerised, and they were able to tell that a certain card owner that was employed had used the card a short while before michelle entered the room,

plasmaguy · 28-05-2012 08:29PM

It sounds a bit of a banana republic to me, but then again many of these beauty spots often are.

By the sounds of it the investigation into the crime scene was shoddy to say the least.

goat2 · 28-05-2012 08:48PM

i think that it is awful how these trials are run, i think of maddie mccanne, also the amanda knox case, the little girl of about fourteen that was found dead on the beach in goa i think, it was put down to accidental, until the mom saw her body and could see she was badly marked and a postmortom showed up a terrible death back then,
we should not be going on breaks in these places that we cannot trust to see after us when things go very wrong,

pwurple · 28-05-2012 08:54PM

It looks like the DNA evidence was poorly collected. The accused dna was found on the swipe card that was used to gain access they said today, but nothing else. And they hadn't sent in DNA samples of the officers either.

The police were woefully unused to cases like this by the sound of it.

So awful for the family. It is like the crime all over again going through this.

biko · 28-05-2012 08:57PM

scholar007, Buttonftw and BunShopVoyeur banned from this thread.

goat2 · 28-05-2012 09:01PM

i also remember reading in some newspaper when it back then, that it was not unusual for staff to steal from guestrooms while the guests were out

Bacchus · 30-05-2012 11:24AM

This trial is insane and looks more and more like a stitch up as it goes on.

1. Police obviously didn't go over the crime scene competently
2. Accusations that the confession was beaten out of the accused
3. Police sergeant unable/unwilling to answer basic questions on the stand regarding those accusations
4. A key witness for the prosecution did not report what he "saw" until the following day
5. Another witness has left the country

And just now on RTE they are breaking the news that one of the defense lawyers has withdrawn.

Not to mention the sniggering and laughing in the audience and jury during the opening few days.

I feel so sorry for the McAreavey and Harte families. Even if the two accused men are punished, can they ever be certain that they got justice.

Laois_Man · 30-05-2012 04:41PM

I'm a bit suprised about the comments on this thread especially in the early pages relating to how the accused are definately guilty. You would think people would want to see actual evidence before saying such things!

The prosecution's case is still ongoing but they have not presented one shred of credible evidence yet. The evidence has been so poor so far, you would think the witnesses were actually being called to support the defense.

Yes, Michaela and her family deserve the culprits to be brought to justice. However, if there's a feeling at the end of this that they locked up just anyone to save face and protect their tourism industry, it just makes the tragedy even bigger for the Harte's and McAreavy's!

plasmaguy · 30-05-2012 05:11PM

How on earth could they allow a key witness leave the country? It beggers belief.

Did they have cameras in hallways by the way?

goat2 · 30-05-2012 05:13PM

plasmaguy wrote: »

How on earth could they allow a key witness leave the country? It beggers belief.

Did they have cameras in hallways by the way?

how do we know, the key witness may have needed protection due to being asked to keep schnum, and had no other option

ArmaniJeanss · 30-05-2012 05:27PM

plasmaguy wrote: »

How on earth could they allow a key witness leave the country? It beggers belief.

How does it 'beggar belief' ? Witnesses aren't locked up in Ireland either, nor do they have their passports taken away or movements restricted.

sawakatoome · 30-05-2012 07:40PM

Laois_Man wrote: »

However, if there's a feeling at the end of this that they locked up just anyone to save face and protect their tourism industry, it just makes the tragedy even bigger for the Harte's and McAreavy's!

I really don't think anyone in Mauritius is looking to 'lock up' the accused just for the sake of saving face .. if this all eventually falls on the two resort workers' heads, if anything its a damning indictment of that nation's tourism industry.

goat2 · 30-05-2012 10:49PM

on the news tonight it said, one of the defense lawyers has stepped down, because he was persent when the man he was defending wrote and signed the statement, which shows that the defendant was not beaten when he gave his statement as this lawyer was there, so there may be a lot of things that were untrue being said

LittleBook · 31-05-2012 09:20AM

Michaela Trial Descends Into Near Farce

In a final flourish before leaving the Supreme Court in Port Louis, Mr Rutnah declared to the jury that he would be back in "Arnold Schwarzenegger style".

...

The lawyer added: "I wish to withdraw, but I will be back — in Arnold Schwarzenegger style."

What ... a .... c*nt. That poor family having to go through this bullshít

Lollipops23 · 31-05-2012 09:42AM

LittleBook wrote: »

What ... a .... c*nt. That poor family having to go through this bullshít

couldn't agree more. hope if he ever goes through what they're going through some prat makes it just as hard on him. he clearly has no sympathy for her family- even IF these guys didn't do it, the family did lose their daughter/wife/sister in horrific circumstances and he should have more respect.

Again I have to ask why his and the panto crowd's shenanigans hasn't been pulled up short- I don't have a huge amount of faith in Ireland or UK's justice systems a lot of the time, but I'm damn sure that behaviour wouldn't be permitted for 5mins.

El Siglo · 31-05-2012 10:14AM

I've never come across such a shambles of a trial, they are actually taking the piss. It must be absolutely awful for the Harte and McAreavey families.

Laois_Man · 31-05-2012 12:52PM

sawakatoome wrote: »

I really don't think anyone in Mauritius is looking to 'lock up' the accused just for the sake of saving face

I respectfully disagree. I'm not saying the 2 guys are definately innocent, but if after a couple of days they didn't have custody of someone who they genuinely thought was guilty, that's exactly what they would do!

sawakatoome · 31-05-2012 01:27PM

Laois_Man wrote: »

I respectfully disagree. I'm not saying the 2 guys are definately innocent, but if after a couple of days they didn't have custody of someone who they genuinely thought was guilty, that's exactly what they would do!

The people of Mauritius (depending so much on tourism as they do) will be hoping the explanation of this foreigner's death will be down to anything *other* than 'wrong-doing on the part of hotel resort workers'; if they do lock up someone just for the sake of it (i.e. frame), I'm sure they'd rather tourism wasn't affected.

christmas2012 · 31-05-2012 01:29PM

sounds like more of a circus than anything very sad..

LittleBook · 06-06-2012 09:08AM

Reporter on Newstalk this morning described how John McAreavey testified that after he discovered Michaela's body he was devastated and hysterical. He was put in a jeep with four policemen and taken from the hotel.

The policemen stopped and bought fast food.

He distinctly remembers one of them saying to him "Why are you crying? You're only 26, you can find another wife!"

When they eventually arrived at the police station he was handcuffed and left alone on a bench for @ 6 hours.

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Murder trial in Mauritius

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