After assembly as college students in Belfast, Michaela and John married in on 30 December 2010.
Nonetheless, tragedy would strike simply 12 days later when she visited the couple’s room in a luxurious resort in Mauritius on her personal after lunch, and she or he was found by John who raised the alarm.
Within the aftermath, John, now 41, stated there was shock, however there was additionally “anger” at how the authorities dealt together with her dying, and the dearth of convictions that adopted.
“I’ve by no means requested the query of, ‘why did this occur to me?’, I’ve all the time simply felt so sorry for Michaela,” he stated.
“It is solely now that I can speak about it fairly logically. There’s nonetheless a hell of a variety of ache related to it, however I settle for that it is all the time going to be the case.
“I understand how intense it’s to stay with that ache, so I have been capable of finding a method to handle it.”
McAreavey, who featured for Down’s senior soccer panel and received an All-Eire Intermediate title together with his membership Tullylish in 2010, admits that “shifting on is a time period that has by no means been comfy for me”.
“I’ve stated earlier than about shifting ahead, and that simply modifications the reference round it.
“You may by no means transfer on from one thing like that, you may’t simply let that be. It’s important to discover a method to transfer ahead.
“I am nonetheless closely concerned for looking for justice for Michaela so it is nonetheless a really lively a part of my life.”
