"There was a lot stolen from us and from her."
An Indian man has been found guilty of raping and murdering Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.
Danielle travelled to India in February 2017 and had been staying in a beach hut in Goa with an Australian friend.
The pair had been celebrating Holi in a nearby village.
Danielle left the village at night. The next day, her body was found in a field by a local farmer.
She had been in India for two weeks before she was murdered.
A post-mortem revealed her cause of death was brain damage and strangulation.
Vikat Bhagat was found guilty of rape and murder at the District and Sessions Court in south Goa on February 14, 2025, and could face life imprisonment, but prosecutors have asked for the death penalty.
His defence team have appealed for leniency and he will be sentenced on February 17.
Reacting to the conviction, Danielle’s mother Andrea Brannigan said she was “glad and relieved it is over”.
She said: “I am relieved that the person who killed my daughter has been convicted of her murder today.
“I lost my eldest daughter, she was stolen from us, she was stolen from her sisters and friends.
“She was also stolen the opportunity of becoming a mother herself.
“There was a lot stolen from us and from her.”
Ms Brannigan travelled to India for the verdict and said it was difficult seeing the man who murdered her daughter.
She continued: “He [Vikat Bhagat] wouldn’t stare back at us, he wouldn’t look back at us.”
While in India the family visited the field where Danielle’s body was discovered.
“It was very hard, overwhelming and difficult but I am glad I went.”
Ms Brannigan said Danielle never left her mind and she would always be remembered for her “spirit, kindness and laugh”.
Rape victims cannot usually be named under Indian law. Their identities are often hidden in a bid to protect them from being shunned in society.
In this case, Danielle’s family have spoken to the media to raise awareness of her case.
Reading out a family statement after the verdict, Danielle’s sister, Joleen McLaughlin Brannigan, said Danielle “lived every day to the fullest”.
She said: “We have lost nearly eight years of our lives fighting for Danielle.
“We are so thankful that we can now start grieving her immeasurable loss.
“She made the most of her 28 years and lived every day to the fullest.
“She was so kind and always so happy – she didn’t deserve what he put her through.”
“We are so grateful to be able to be here for the verdict and see Goa that Danielle loved so much.”
Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris paid tribute to Danielle’s family, in particular her mother “for her determination and resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy”.
He said: “While nothing can ease the pain of their loss, I hope that this verdict represents some closure for the family.
“May Danielle rest in peace.”
Danielle McLaughlin, who had dual Irish and British citizenship, travelled to India using a British passport.
In 2018, the then-Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar met and apologised to her family after a misunderstanding about her citizenship.
Her body was brought home to Donegal with the help of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.
She is buried in her hometown of Buncrana in the Republic of Ireland.
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