Published Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Avinash Treebhoowoon arriving at the court at an earlier date during the trial. (© PA)
Giving evidence at the Supreme Court in Port Louis, the 31-year-old described on Wednesday further claims of police mistreatment in the days after the Co Tyrone teacher's murder.
Both Treebhoowoon and his co-accused Sandip Moneea, a 41-year-old former floor supervisor at Legends hotel resort, deny murdering newlywed Mrs McAreavey in her hotel room.
She was honeymooning on the island with her husband John when she was murdered.
Her long term partner found her dead in a bath filled with water. She had been strangled.
Treebhoowoon, a former hotel employee, wiped away tears as he described how a number of police officers held his head in a bucket of water and punched him until he vomited blood.
He further broke down as he told the court how officers threatened his family and said that they would send his wife to Ireland to be a new wife for John.
The accused also claimed that the police said his parents would be beaten.
The police deny any claims of brutality.
On Tuesday, Treebhoowoon, from Plaine des Roches, told Mauritius Supreme Court that when he was detained after the murder he continually denied knowing anything about it, but police insisted that he talk to them.
He became upset as he gave evidence for the first time about his claims of police mistreatment.
Treebhoowoon also told the jury that he was elsewhere in the hotel when the 27-year-old was killed.
The trial continues.