A COURT IN Mauritius found newspaper editor Imraan Hosany guilty of contempt of public and religious morality today over the publication of images of Michaela McAreavey’s body.

Le Defi Plus reports that the Sunday Times (Mauritius) chief plans to appeal the conviction. His lawyers confirmed that their client would appeal to the Supreme Court.

Magistrate Wendy Runghen is expected to announce a sentence on Thursday.

The 27-year-old school teacher was killed while she was on honeymoon in a luxury hotel on the island in January 2011. The murder shocked Mauritius and Ireland, attracting huge media coverage in both nations.

The 12 black-and-white photos of the crime scene at the Legends hotel were published by Hosany’s newspaper on 15 July last year after two suspects in the case were acquitted. They showed Michaela’s body and her injuries shortly after she was strangled.

According to BBC News, the judge today described the editor’s actions as a “violation of human dignity” not justified by any public interest.

He was motivated by sensationalism and profit, she said.

Police say they do not know how the photographer for the newspaper obtained the pictures. Hosany was arrested three days after their publication. An apology issued by him was rejected by both the McAreavey and Harte families.

The McAreavey family has also taken a civil case for damages against the newspaper.

Read: Irish Daily Mail to pay damages over McAreavey photo

More: PSNI in Mauritius to assist in Michaela McAreavey investigation

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