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Michaela and John McAreavey, pictured on their honeymoon shortly before Michaela's death. McAreavey Family/PA
Michaela

Michaela's widower to face questioning in murder trial

Defence lawyers have prepared a list of questions they want to ask John McAreavey as a witness next week.

LAWYERS FOR the two men charged with the murder of Tyrone woman Michaela McAreavey have compiled a list of questions they intend to put to her widower John.

BBC News reports that the questions were submitted earlier today to the court in Mauritius, where Abinash Treebhoowoon and Sandip Moonea are facing trial over McAreavey’s death at the Legends Hotel in January.

McAreavey is now set to travel back to Mauritius at the request of the defence lawyers, who are to cover his travel costs.

He may be asked to give evidence in the case as early as next week.

A police autopsy into McAreavey’s death has revealed that a plastic bag was placed over the former Rose of Tralee entrant’s head during her death, and that she died of asphyxia due to compression of the neck.

DNA samples from nail cuttings and samples from McAreavey’s neck did not match those taken from the workers at the Legends Hotel who are suspected of her killing.

The Belfast Telegraph reported that the reliability of the DNA evidence has been questioned, as the McAreaveys’ room was not preserved immediately after her death on January 10.

The daughter of Tyrone gaelic football boss Mickey Harte, Michaela died while honeymooning with John less than two weeks after they married.

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