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BREAKING NEWS: British bride shot dead on Caribbean honeymoon the day before she was to return home Last updated at 2:27 PM on 28th July 2008
A new bride was shot dead and her husband critically injured in a shooting during their Caribbean honeymoon.
Catherine Mullany, a doctor, was shot in the head and died in her hotel room after the shooting on the island of Antigua yesterday.
Her husband Benjamin, of Pontardawe, near Swansea, Wales, is fighting for his life in hospital with critical injuries, the Foreign Office said. He reportedly received a single gunshot wound to his neck.
Tragedy: New bride Catherine Mullany and her husband Ben
The newly-weds were due to return to the UK today
The couple, both 31, were married just over two weeks ago, on July 12.
Police are investigating whether they were shot during a robbery while they were asleep in their hotel room.
Mrs Mullany's father was said to be "too upset to speak" today.
Speaking from the family home at Plas Farm, Cilybebyll, Pontardawe, a friend said no one would be making a statement.
"Richard Bowen is here and is obviously very, very upset.
"I am a friend of Richard. Nobody here will want to talk - they are just too devastated. That is the last thing on their minds at the moment."
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm a British couple were shot in Antigua yesterday.
"We can confirm that one of the British nationals died and the other is in a critical condition.
The Cocos Bay Hotel in Antigua, where the couple were staying when the attack occurred
"Families of both have been informed and we are providing consular assistance. The Antiguan police have launched an investigation. They were husband and wife."
Mrs Mullany, formerly Bowen, is a registered doctor who graduated from the University of London in 2002, according to General Medical Council records.
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The couple were attacked in their holiday cottage at the Cocos Hotel and Restaurant at around 5am yesterday, according to the Antigua Sun newspaper.
Mr Mullany was shot in the neck and was rushed to Holberton Hospital after neighbours reported gunfire.
His wife was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit in the head, according to reports. The couple were both reported to be 31 years old.
They had arrived in the Caribbean on July 14 and were expected to return home today.
Dozens of pictures of their wedding day on July 12 are posted on one social networking site.
The photographs show the couple getting married at a rural church before celebrating with friends at a reception.
One comment read: "Congratulations! Wishing you and your husband the happiest of lives together xxx."
Mrs Mullany, who studied at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, listed her interests as sewing, cooking, reading and gardening.
She added: "Worryingly similar to retired people now that I think about it."
Police Commissioner Gary Nelson told reporters that officers from a special task force for serious crime were responsible for the inquiry.
Local media reported a spree of shootings on the holiday island with at least two other people attacked by masked gunmen.
Antigua tourism minister Harold Lovell said: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims of this incident at this very difficult time.
"I have full confidence in the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, who are conducting an extensive investigation.
"This isolated incident has deeply shocked our community and we wish to reassure visitors that Antigua and Barbuda is a safe destination."
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AWWwwwww this is so sad. Wht a tragic end. Im so sorry for all the family and the poor hubby. to loose his beautiful wife so soon in their marraige.
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What a horrible story!! Unbelievable that such a crime could happen in such a wonderful place. I hope authorities will be able to resolve this case very quickly and that at least the man will pull through and survive this brutal attack. Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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Last night doctors said they have been unable to operate on Mr Mullany, saying he was in critical condition, but giving no further details. The couple's relatives are expected to be arriving in Antigua today.
The Telegraph today claimed the bullet had travelled from his neck to his brain, with his injuries including a fractured skull, damage to the spinal cord, brain haemorrhaging and a broken leg.
Sky sources are claiming he is now brain dead. Last night doctors said they had been unable to operate so far.
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The island is on the main drug route for smugglers operating from Colombia and en route to the U.S.
Police Inspector Cornelius Charles told a newspaper there was a 'new breed' of criminals.
'People are not just prepared to rob; they are prepared to kill and rob.'
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Antiguan police arrest beach drug dealer named 'Cloud' over honeymoon shooting
Ben’s chances of surviving his bullet wound to the head without permanent brain damage are ‘minimal’, said top consultant neurosurgeon Helen Fernandes, of Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
‘Survival rates are quite low. Survival without disability would be very, very low,’ she said. Ms Fernandes, who carries out more than 250 major brain operations each year, added:
‘There are instances where it is safer to leave the bullet there because retrieving it would just cause more damage to the brain tissue.
There is a potential for leading a normal life with a bullet still in the brain so long as it hasn’t already caused too much damage.’
The brain stem controls many of the body’s most vital functions, like breathing. When it stops working, the brain cannot send messages to the body and cannot receive messages back from the body.
Doctors test whether it is still operating normally by carrying out a series of procedures. Firstly, light is shone into the patient’s eyes to see whether the pupils react to light.
The cornea, which is highly sensitive, is then stroked with tissue. Intense pressure is then applied to the forehead and under the fingernails to test whether the patient registers pain.
Ice-cold water is syringed into each ear which, in a fully functioning patient, would cause the eyes to move.
Further tests involve putting a tube down the patient’s throat to test the gag reflex and removing them from a ventilator to see whether they attempt spontaneous breathing. Patients who are brain-stem dead will show no reaction to any of the tests.
ST JOHN'S, Antigua (AFP) — A fifth person was charged in connection with the shooting deaths of two honeymooners in Antigua, police said on Tuesday.
Georgette Aaron, 31, was charged with accessory to murder, accessory to robbery and perverting the course of justice, court documents showed.
Aaron is the fifth suspect arrested and charged in the ongoing investigation into the murders of Ben and Catherine Mullany, who were shot and killed while honeymooning here last month.
On Monday, Avie Howell, 17, and Kaniel Martin, 20, were charged with the murders as well as for robbery.
Two other women, aged 22 and 32, appeared before a magistrate last week on charges for receiving stolen goods belonging to the Welsh couple.
The Mullanys, both 31 years old, were killed July 27 when thieves broke into their hill-top honeymoon resort while they were sleeping and shot them both.
Catherine died instantly from a single gunshot to the head. Ben was shot in the neck and died a week later after he was airlifted home to Wales for treatment.
Scotland Yard detectives, including three forensic experts, and an officer from South Wales police have been assisting local authorities in investigating the homicides on this Caribbean island of 70,000 people.
The couple, from Pontardawe, in southern Wales, were nearing the end of a two-week honeymoon on the island when they were attacked.
Hundreds of Antiguans took part in a march last week to denounce the murders and other unresolved crimes that have taken place here.
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