2 cleared of honeymoon murder

The defence lawyers had insisted the confession statement signed by Treebhoowoon three days after the crime was a fabrication that had been extracted by police brutality.

The hotel room cleaner claimed he had been beaten repeatedly, whipped on the soles of his feet, grabbed in the groin and been stripped naked before his head was plunged into water so many times he vomited blood.

Rama Valayden compared the case to pastmiscarriages of justice involving Irish people.

"This is what happens when we rush tofind justice, like it was in the Birmingham Six, like it was in the Guilford Four," he said.

"Wherever in the world, when we rush totry to find justice we always fail."

He claimed the Mauritian police's major crime investigation team (MCIT) had ignored vital evidence that would have identified the real killer in their haste to find someone to blame quickly.

The lawyer demanded the MCIT be disbanded and a new unit take on a fresh investigation.

The family of Michaela McAreavey have released the following statement:

Outside the courtroom in Mauritius former hotel worker Avinash Treebhoowoon said he was overjoyed at the not guilty verdicts.

He also expressed sympathy for the family of Michaela McAreavey.

"I'm so sad about this lady," he said. "But I did not kill this lady."

His co-defendant Sandip Moneea wept as he hugged his lawyer.

"I am so happy to be back with my family," he said.

"These past 18 months have been so hard."

There were chaotic scenes outside the courtroom in Mauritius as the two acquitted men walked out of the court.

Throngs of people cheered "justice, justice" in Creole as policemen hurried the men through the courtyard.

Moments later defence lawyers were carried aloft.

Jurors took two hours to deliberate their verdicts in Mauritius. The not guilty verdicts were unanimous.

Members of the McAreavey family walked straight out of court when the foreman of the jury made the verdicts known.

The accused men broke down in tears in the dock while relatives jumped to their feet cheering wildly.

Two former hotel workers have been acquitted of murdering honeymooner Michaela McAreavey in Mauritius.

Avinash Treebhoowoon and Sandip Moneea were found not guilty by a jury at the island's Supreme Court in Port Louis.

The daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte was found strangled in her room at the luxury Legends resort in January 2011.

The prosecution had claimed the defendants attacked the 27-year-old teacher when she interrupted them stealing in the room.

Treebhoowoon, 32, from Plaine de Roches, worked as a room attendant at Legends while Moneea, 43, from Petit Raffray, was his floor supervisor.They were arrested at the hotel the day after the murder.The high profile case was originally listed to run nine days but the verdict came in its eighth week.

Former hotel workers Avinash Treebhoowoon and Sandip Moneea have been acquitted at the Supreme Court in Mauritius of murdering Irish honeymooner Michaela McAreavey at a luxury resort on the island.

Avinash Treebhowoon and Sandip Monnea have been found not guilty of the murder of Michaela McAreavey in Mauritius.

A jury has retired to considered its verdict in the trial of Michaela McAreavey in Mauritius.

Judge Prithviraj Fecknah told the nine jurors to begin their deliberations after a lengthy speech directing them on relevant legal issues. He said:

"You are not to feel pressure in any way because of time factor. You will take all the time you feel is necessary to deal with the issues."

Former staff members Avinash Treebhoowoon and Sandip Moneea deny her murder.