Antigua honeymoon murder suspects found guilty
Courts in Antigua have found two men guilty of murdering honeymooning couple Ben and Catherine Mullany.
The couple – who had been married a matter of weeks – were murdered on the Caribbean island on July 27th 2007, prompting international outrage.
Authorities from Antigua & Barbuda called in British detectives to investigate the crime, with fears the murder may damage the local tourism industry.
Kaniel Martin, 23-years-of-age, and Avie Howell, 20-years-of-age, were subsequently arrested, but denied killing the couple from Pontardawe, Swansea Valley.
However, after refusing to be questioned in court, they were convicted of the murders and will be tried on September 26th.
The director of public prosecutions confirmed earlier he is considering asking for the death penalty.
The parents of the murdered couple released a statement following the verdict, which was reached after ten hours of deliberations: “We will never be able to comprehend the senseless nature of their deaths, the total disregard shown for human life and that no remorse has ever been shown.”
Officials in the Antigua tourism industry will now seek to put the episode behind them.
However, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has warned of an overall increase in crime on the island in recent years, including gun crime.
Five foreign tourists have been killed since July 2008.