The body of murdered honeymooner Michaela McAreavey is on its way back home from Mauritius.
Her widower John and her brother Mark were on the island as her coffin was taken from the hospital mortuary to the airport, where it will be flown to London on the first stage of her journey back home. It will then be flown on to Belfast.
It is expected the funeral of Mrs McAreavey – the daughter of Mickey Harte, the celebrated manager of Ireland’s all-conquering Tyrone Gaelic football team – will take place close to her Co Tyrone home early next week, in the same church where she wed only weeks ago.
The repatriation is taking place as police continue their investigation into the murder in the luxury Legends Hotel on Monday.
Three hotel workers have appeared in court charged in connection with the murder of the 27-year-old teacher, whose body was found by her husband in her hotel room. She had been strangled.
The Mauritius Police Force said the two men charged with the murder were Avinash Treebhoowoon, 29, a room attendant from Plaine des Roches, and Sandip Moneea, 41, a floor supervisor from Petit Raffray. Room attendant Raj Theekoy, 33, from Ramnarain Cottage, faces the conspiracy charge.
Irish Ambassador in South Africa Brendan McMahon, who is on the holiday island, said his immediate aim was to get Mrs McAreavey’s remains and family members home as soon as possible.
“We are certainly very hopeful this will happen (on Thursday) evening,” he told RTE. “We hope and pray there will be not any last minute hitches.”
Mr McAreavey, who had been on his own on the island until relatives arrived, said in a statement: “My beautiful wife, my best friend, my rock Michaela, has been taken from me and I still can’t take it in. Our hopes, our dreams and our future together are gone. I love my wife very, very much and my world revolved around her.”
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