Man who raped and murdered Irish backpacker found dead in Goa sentenced to life in prison

• Feb 17, 2025

A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of 28-year-old Irish tourist Danielle McLaughlin in Goa, India. McLaughlin’s body was discovered with severe injuries in a forested area near Palolem Beach in Canacona village in March 2017.

The trial court found Vikat Bhagat guilty of both raping and murdering the young backpacker. The verdict was delivered after nearly eight years of legal proceedings, with the victim's family lawyer, Vikram Verma, expressing that the sentence brought justice. "It was a difficult task for the prosecution to gather all the circumstantial evidence and convince the court beyond a reasonable doubt," Verma stated.

McLaughlin’s mother, Andrea Brannigan, traveled to Goa for the verdict and expressed her relief, saying she was “glad and relieved” that the sentencing had finally concluded. In her statement at the hearing, she said, "I lost my eldest daughter. She was stolen from us, from her sisters, and from her friends. She was also robbed of the opportunity to become a mother herself."

Bhagat received life imprisonment under Section 302 (murder) and Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, along with a Rs 25,000 (£250) fine. He was also convicted of destroying evidence, receiving a two-year sentence and an INR 10,000 (£100) fine, though all sentences will run concurrently.

Prosecutors revealed that Bhagat took advantage of his friendship with McLaughlin, luring her to a secluded field on the night of March 13-14, 2017. There, he assaulted her before striking her head and face with a glass bottle and ultimately strangling her. The cause of death was determined to be brain damage and strangulation.

McLaughlin’s sister, Joleen McLaughlin Brannigan, was also present in India for the verdict. She expressed her grief and said, "We’ve lost nearly eight years of our lives fighting for Danielle. We are thankful that we can now start grieving her immeasurable loss. She made the most of her 28 years, lived every day to the fullest, and was so kind and always happy—she didn’t deserve what he did to her."

McLaughlin, originally from Buncrana, had traveled to India in February 2017 and was staying in a beach hut with an Australian friend. The two had been celebrating the Holi festival in a nearby village when McLaughlin left in the evening. Her body was found the next day by a local farmer in a remote area.

Although Indian law typically protects the identity of rape victims to avoid social stigma, McLaughlin’s family chose to speak out publicly to raise awareness about her case.