A British soldier's holiday romance turned into a nightmare of unimaginable violence, a court has heard, after he strangled his girlfriend to death in a fit of humiliated rage.
Lance Corporal James O'Donovan, 32, is on trial for the murder of 32-year-old Michaela Hall. The prosecution detailed how a seemingly innocuous moment of laughter spiralled into a fatal attack in their Ayia Napa apartment in May 2023.
The court was told the couple had been drinking and were in a "playful mood" before things took a sinister turn. Ms Hall reportedly laughed at the size of O'Donovan's genitals, a comment that triggered a catastrophic reaction from the soldier.
In a violent and sudden assault, O'Donovan is alleged to have strangled Michaela until she lost consciousness. Despite her attempts to fight back, the attack continued. Shockingly, the prosecution stated that O'Donovan then left the room to smoke a cigarette, leaving Ms Hall lifeless on the bed.
Upon returning, he discovered she was not breathing. In a state of panic, he dragged her body into the shower in a futile attempt to revive her. He later fled the scene, leaving her deceased in the apartment, and attempted to fly back to the UK using a colleague's passport.
Cyprus police apprehended him at Larnaca airport. During the proceedings, the court viewed disturbing CCTV footage from inside the apartment, which captured the sounds of the struggle and O'Donovan's subsequent actions.
Michaela Hall, a mother from Maidstone, Kent, was described by her heartbroken family as a "beautiful soul" whose life was brutally cut short. The trial continues as the justice system seeks answers for this tragic and senseless loss of life.
