Man, 31, sentenced to life over 2017 rape & murder of Irish backpacker, 28, in India after body found in field by farmer
THE man who raped and murdered Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin has been sentenced to life in prison.
Danielle McLaughlin, 28, from Buncrana in Donegal, was found dead in 2017 after being brutally raped in a secluded spot popular with tourists in the western state of Goa - some 8,000km away.
She had only been in India for two weeks before her body was found in a field near Cacacona by a farmer a few days before St Patricks Day.
A post-mortem examination found brain damage and strangulation as the cause of death.
Vikat Bhagat, who was a friend of Danielle’s during the time she spent in India, was found guilty of her murder and rape at the District and Sessions Court in south Goa last week.
The 31-year-old had been arrested by police within hours of Danielle's body being discovered but the criminal proceedings faced many delays over the years.
The prosecutor said: “He has been involved in crime since he was a teenager and his rape and murder of Danielle was horrific.
“Bhagat disfigured her. When he was being held on remand, he was responsible for bringing narcotics into his prison and was the inmate who sparked a riot.
“I am pleased that justice has prevailed in this case. When I looked at the images of Danielle after she had been attacked, it just made us even more determined to secure justice for her family.
“We have proven every link of the chain in the evidence process and, if he gets a life sentence and appeals, we are confident he will not win.”
Following Bhagat’s conviction, Danielle’s family said: “There was no other suspect or gang involved in Danielle’s death and Vikat Bhagat was solely responsible for cruelly ending her beautiful life.
“We have endured what has effectively been an eight-year murder trial with many delays and problems, right until the end, all taking place thousands of miles away from Danielle’s home in Buncrana, Co Donegal.
“The quest for justice has been no easy matter, as we have discovered.
"In memory of Danielle, we stayed patient and respectful of the Indian legal system with the aid also of the British and Irish consular staff.
“We are glad to have visited the area where Danielle spent her last days on this earth.”
