Woman shot dead on Caribbean honeymoon

A newly-wed doctor was shot dead and her husband critically injured during their Carribean honeymoon.

Catherine Mullany, formerly Bowen, was fatally wounded during the shooting on the island of Antigua yesterday.

Her husband Benjamin, of Pontardawe, near Swansea, south Wales, is fighting for his life in hospital with critical injuries.

Police are investigating whether the couple were shot during a robbery.

The couple were attacked in their holiday cottage at the Cocos Hotel in the south-west of the island.

Neighbours alerted police, who discovered Mrs Mullany with a fatal head wound at around 5am yesterday.

Mr Mullany was admitted to Holberton Hospital suffering a neck wound, according to the Antigua Sun newspaper.

The couple arrived in the Caribbean on July 14 and were expected to return home today.

Mrs Mullany is a registered doctor who graduated from the University of London in 2002, according to General Medical Council records.

Dozens of pictures of the Mullanys' wedding day on 12 July 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, lists her interests as sewing, cooking, reading, gardening.

She added: "Worryingly similar to retired people now that I think about it."

The hotel describes itself as an "exclusive resort for those looking to escape to paradise", located between two white sand beaches. It has only 19 cottages, set in expansive gardens overlooking the beaches, which cost up to £330 a night.

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 the shooting took place shortly before 5am.

"This isolated incident has deeply shocked our community and we wish to reassure visitors that Antigua and Barbuda is a safe destination."

Mr Lovell added that police investigators would also look at whether there were any lapses in security at the hotel, which employs guards.

He said other hotel guests had been left traumatised by the murder and some had requested to be relocated.

Speaking on Sky News, he said: "The police are still obviously trying to work out the motive, but they think robbery will be the motive."

He added: "We pride ourselves that Antigua is a safe and stable destination and this has come as a great shock to us."

Cilybebyll Community Councillor Richard Lewis said the Bowen family run a holiday cottage business from the farm, called Swansea Valley Holiday Cottages, which has a large old farmhouse at its centre.