Irish girl murder mystery solved; local man killed her in a rape attempt: Goa Police

A farmer and complainant in the case only helped police to reach to the crime spot, paddy field where the body found was unknown. Police called to all sack owners, people in the vicinity and informants on the beach strip between Agonda and Paloem.

One British national said he might know her and was brought to the crime spot, but the scratch marks on face made difficult to identify body, police told.

The British national then recalled some friends and began to search photograph on facebook, and finally after a few attempts zeroed in on her profile.

A tattoo of three circles around deceased girl’s right waist helped identify her. The police took a fresh photograph from her profile and went to the beach front. The DIG Goa, Vimal Gupta, “The accused statement cannot be relied, unless every minute of evidence from the crime scene let it be inspected scientifically. We want him behind bar.”

The Irish girl had come to India in 2016 and returned this year on February 23. Having halt in Arambol for a few days she visited South Goa with an Australian friend on March 12.

Danielle went alone to Palolem, about three miles south of Festival Valley, at around 1pm on March 13.

She was seen at a party on the beach in the Canacona area on that night.

A waiter told Police she was seen with a local man at 9.30pm and the pair had got into an argument with a bar keeper who had sold them two bottles of  beer. They later left on his scooter. Then woman from another locality confirmed it. A sack owner calls police and finally someone mentioned the name Vickat Bhagat, the local man.

CCTV of her final tragic moments has since emerged, showing her walking with a man in grainy footage; Just hours later her brutalised body was found by a farmer four miles away near Deobag Beach.

Police have arrested and detained a man named as Vikat Bhagat, 22, who they say has confessed to murdering her.

Danielle's heartbroken mother Andrea Brannigan has paid tribute to her daughter, saying she will be “sadly missed”.

Vikat Bhagat, 22, has been arrested and remanded in custody while investigations continue.

Bhagat, nicknamed Wicket, confessed to killing the backpacker, but denied raping her, police deputy superintendent Sammy Tavares said.

Indian police identified Danielle McLoughlin's killer from blood found on his clothes and scooter, according to their report.

Reports now say Bhagat confessed to her murder and admitted he sexually assaulted her before attempting to disfigure her with a beer bottle.

Her badly beaten body was found in a pool of blood by a farmer at Deobag Beach, Goa, with extensive injuries to her face and head.

Known criminal Bhagat was arrested after his Activa scooter and clothes were found covered in red stains at his home in Canacona.

The cases of thefts, robbery, house break-ins and drug peddling against Bhagat are in trial court. “With such a criminal background, his confession cannot be seen as a complete probe,” said Gupta.

McLoughlin's blood-stained clothes were also found in a backpack dumped in a field close to the house.

Bhagat had also sustained injuries consistent with being scratched by nails.

He was taken to the General Medical Centre at Bambolim before being taken into custody.

In a plain clothe policeman was on watching to confirm Bhagat’s presence at his house in Bhagatwada Canacona. Once policeman confirmed Bhagat's presence in home, the signal was passed to other policemen.

The police barged into his home and nabbed him while he was sleeping. He was astounded seeing this raid. The witness versions have matched with the narrative what Bhagat told to the police.

During the interrogation Bhagat has confessed that when he tried to impose himself on her in an isolated spot off the highway leading to Agonda, she tried to escape.

The police have found injury marks on Bhagat’s thigh. The victim’s cloths and his bike have now been ceased.