‘I never want him released; I don’t want any other family to feel this pain’

The mother of murdered young Buncrana woman Danielle McLaughlin has said she never wants her daughter’s killer released from prison.

Mum Andrea Brannigan prepares to face another anxious wait, with convicted murderer and rapist Vikat Bhagat’s appeal against a life sentence due to be heard in India next month.

Bhagat’s sentencing appeal is set to begin on September 10th, with Danielle’s heartbroken mum admitting she is worried about the prospect of him securing a reduced sentence.

Danielle, who was 28 and backpacking in India, was murdered in 2017. Her battered body was discovered in a field in Canacona on the morning of March 14 that year.

Following years of legal delays, Bhagat was sentenced to life imprisonment at the District and Sessions Court in Goa in February 2025, having been found guilty of Danielle’s murder and rape. He also received a further three-year sentence for destroying evidence.

Andrea said she had been aware that Bhagat could appeal when she and her family were in Goa during the original court proceedings.

“I knew he was going to appeal as I was told it was a possibility when we were in Goa,” Andrea said. “I am worried but I am hopeful he wouldn't get out. He shouldn't get a lighter sentence.”

Bhagat had pleaded not guilty to all charges, which also included violent robbery and destruction of evidence. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but he was ultimately sentenced to ‘rigorous’ life imprisonment for Danielle’s murder, as well as a second life term for rape.

Andrea said she believed appeals were common in India, but remains confident that Bhagat will not be released any time soon.

She also referred to other crimes she says he has committed while in prison, adding to her concerns about the possibility of his eventual release.

For Andrea and her family, however, the appeal comes at a particularly difficult time as they continue to deal with the devastating loss of Danielle.

“I am finally starting to try and grieve for her, so it’s hard at the moment for us waiting now on the inquest date,” Andrea said.

Danielle, who would have been 37 years old now, remains very much part of the family’s daily lives, almost a decade after her death.

“Danielle is talked about all the time, and I still visit the graveyard most days,” Andrea explains.

Andrea is also hoping that the appeal hearing will not become a lengthy process. She understands that the hearing is expected to last several days but does not yet know when a verdict will be delivered.

She said the Irish Embassy has been “great” in keeping her updated, with police also being kept informed of developments.

And for Andrea, the ultimate outcome she wants remains unequivocal: she does not want Bhagat ever to walk free.

“I don’t want any other family to feel this pain, so I never want him released,” she said.

Meanwhile, the family is also awaiting an inquest into Danielle’s death, which Andrea expects to take place in Letterkenny.

She explained that the inquest was granted because she does not have a death certificate for Danielle, describing it as unusual for someone who dies abroad to have an inquest held in Ireland.

Andrea hopes the process will help her family as they continue to seek answers and come to terms with the loss of their beloved daughter and sister.

The appeal by Bhagat, who is currently serving a sentence at Central Jail, Colvale, has been listed before the High Court of Bombay at Goa.

The matter is recorded as Criminal Appeal No. 339 of 2025 (F), with Bhagat named as the appellant and the State of Goa, through the Police Inspector at Canacona, as the respondent.

Bhagat is represented by advocates Arun Bras De Sa and Mark Valadares, while advocate Pravin N. Faldessai is representing the State, holding for Public Prosecutor S.G. Bhobe.

An order in the case was last dated July 30, 2026, before a division bench comprising Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar.