Man found guilty of rape and murder of Irish backpacker

A man has been found guilty of the rape and murder of an Irish woman backpacking in India. A post-mortem examination found brain damage and strangulation as the cause of death. Vikat Bhagat was found guilty at the District and Sessions Court in south Goa, India, on Friday and could face a sentence of life imprisonment, but prosecutors have asked for the death penalty. In a statement afterwards, Danielle's mother Andrea Brannigan and her sister Joleen McLaughlin Brannigan, said justice "has finally been achieved". " Rape victims cannot usually be named under Indian law. Ms McLaughlin, who grew up in Buncrana, had travelled to India in February 2017.