Man arrested by Michaela McAreavey murder detectives remanded on theft charge

A former hotel security guard arrested by Mauritius detectives investigating the murder of Michaela McAreavey has been remanded in custody on a theft charge linked to the honeymooners’ room.

The Mauritius Police Force said Dassen Narayanen, who worked at the Legends Hotel where the Co Tyrone teacher was killed in 2011, was brought before a district magistrate on Wednesday on a count of conspiracy to commit larceny.

A lawyer for Narayanen has described the case against his client as “nonsense” and said he denies any wrongdoing.

Mrs McAreavey’s widower John said his legal team in Mauritius was keeping him informed of developments.

After his wife’s killing in 2011, Narayanen was initially charged with conspiracy to murder but that was later reduced to a larceny charge.

Mrs McAreavey, 27, was strangled in her room at the hotel on January 10 2011.

The teacher, who had got married 10 days earlier, was attacked as she returned to her room alone and disturbed a burglary.

No-one has been convicted of murdering the daughter of Gaelic football manager, Mickey Harte.

Two former workers at the luxury resort, Sandip Moneea and Avinash Treebhoowoon, were acquitted of murder after a high-profile trial on the holiday island in summer 2012.

A court document from the court in the Riviere du Rempart district in Mauritius shows that the charge against Narayanen specifically relates to conspiracy to steal from the room of Michaela McAreavey and her husband John at Legends Hotel.

The document, seen by the PA news agency, states that Narayanen, 37, from Royal Road, Plaine des Papayes, is charged with conspiring with another hotel employee to steal a magnetic key card to the room then occupied by the McAreaveys to commit larceny.

A Mauritian police spokesman told the PA news agency: “On Tuesday March 29 2022, police, upon the advice of the director of public prosecutions, arrested Mr Dassen Narayanen on the charge of conspiracy to commit an unlawful act, to wit, larceny.

“Investigation in progress.”

Narayanen’s lawyer, Vikash Teeluckdharry, said his client was taken to court without his knowledge, resulting in him being unable to make a bail application.

“This was a blatant breach of procedure,” he said.

Mr Teeluckdharry said he would be making a bail application next week.

Narayanen was taken to hospital in the capital, Port Louis, during his police detention on Tuesday.

Mr Teeluckdharry told PA his client was handcuffed in his hospital bed when he visited him.

The lawyer said two court orders were secured at Wednesday’s hearing, one that police had to inform Narayanen’s legal representatives when they were moving him between facilities and, second, that no police statement should be taken from him until a doctor declared him fit for interview.

Mrs McAreavey’s widower, John, has pursued a long campaign for justice and in 2017 offered a two million Mauritian rupee (50,000 euro) reward for information leading to a successful conviction.

On Wednesday, he told PA: “I’m being kept informed of developments with my legal team in Mauritius and do not want to make any further comment at this stage.”

Last year, a key prosecution witness in the original murder trial, Raj Theekoy, was found dead.

Mr Teeluckdharry claimed police in Mauritius are attempting to suggest there had now been a major development in the murder case.

He described those claims as “nonsense” and said there was “nothing new” in the questions put to Narayanen.

He said his client was innocent.