Family of murdered honeymoon couple face their alleged killers

Ben and Catherine Mullany, both 31, died after an apparently botched robbery at the Cocos hotel little more than a fortnight after their wedding day.

Nearly three years after their deaths on July 27, 2008, their relatives gathered in a Caribbean court room as two men stood trial for their murders.

Mr Mullany’s mother and father, Marilyn and Cynlais, appeared strained as they sat in the public gallery with the parents of their late daughter-in-law, David and Rachel Bowen, and listened intently as a hotel security guard told how the resort’s gate could be opened with a simple “hard push”.

Brinsley Barrie, who was on duty when the newly-weds were attacked, agreed even a guest locked out late at night could “easily” have entered the hillside retreat.

Relatives sat with heads bowed as he told the court there had been no padlock on the wooden 7ft gate that day – just a bolt and a “piece of iron”.

Asked if someone could have climbed over the barrier, he replied: “Most probably.”

He had been on guard with colleagues Ian Newell and Tony Martin on the night of July 26.

He told Antigua’s High Court how he had been stationed in the reception area when Mr Newell appeared at the front desk “frightened” and “stammering”.

He made his way up the hill to cottage 15 where Mr Mullany, a student physiotherapist and former South Yorkshire policeman, was “crouching over the bed” but not moving.

Mrs Mullany was lying on the floor, face up.

“There was blood on her face, she was not moving,” he said. “She appeared to be dead.”

The Mullanys, from Swansea, South Wales, were on the final day of their honeymoon when they were attacked.

Mrs Mullany, a doctor, died instantly while her husband, who had also served in the Army, was alive and later transported back to Britain for treatment but was pronounced dead a week after the shootings.

Avie Howell, 20, and Kaniel Martin, 23, were later charged with their murders.

They are also accused of killing local shopkeeper, Woneta Anderson, 43. Both deny the charges.

Mr Barrie said he would routinely patrol the pool area and restaurant at night.

But he told the court he would have been unable to hear a gunshot at cottage 15 while he had been at his post on the front desk or in the dining area.

He was only alerted to the killings when he received a phone call from police at 5.25am.

Moments later, his shaken colleague appeared in reception.

The guard said it was his responsibility to unlock the gate at 6am. But, on the morning of July 27, he had not opened the barrier, jurors were told.

When questioned, Mr Barrie was unable to explain how police eventually entered the resort.

Mrs Mullany’s brother Richard Bowen told the court that he travelled to the island following the killing to identify his sister’s body.

The geophysicist told jurors that three days after her death, he visited her critically injured husband in hospital.

“Ben was one of my closest circle of friends,” he said.

“Whenever we did anything, Ben was always there, along with my sister.”

He told the court that Mr Mullany had owned a Nokia phone. The court has heard that evidence was uncovered which put the defendants in possession of Mr Mullany’s phone after the murders.

The trial continues.