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British backpacker Danielle McLaughlin was 'raped and strangled to death', autopsy results revealed.

Doctors say the 28-year-old's death was caused by "asphyxia as a result of compression of neck with craniocerebral damage consequent to injuries to face and head".

Further tests confirmed she had been sexually assaulted before her death in the tourist hotspot on Goa.

Yesterday, police released CCTV of Danielle’s final moments as she left a bar after a beach party.

She is walking a few feet in front of a man police identified as the accused murderer Vikat Bhagat.

(Image: Caters)

The local petty criminal has been charged with her murder and will appear in court again in a week’s time.

Detectives say Danielle and Vikat bought two bottles of beer and had a row with a bar owner before driving off on a scooter at about 9.30pm on the night of her murder.

The pair had been pictured earlier in the evening at a beach party.

Vikat allegedly tried to cover up the murder by hiding her blood stained clothes in a backpack in a field near his house.

(Image: PA)

Police also found her purse and a broken bottle nearby.

Police are still examining his blood stained clothes and a moped found with blood on it.

Sammy Tavares, the deputy superintendent of Canacona police, said a court had granted police permission to hold Bhagat for seven days to complete their investigation.

(Image: Caters)

“Then we will submit a charge sheet and the case will go on,” he said.

Danielle from Ireland but living in Liverpool and travelling on a British passport had met Bhagat on a previous trip to Goa and been “seen with this guy from the afternoon of the 13th”, the officer added.

The 24-year-old, described by locals as a gang member, was arrested within four hours of police being alerted to the discovery of McLaughlin’s body on Tuesday morning.

(Image: PA)

(Image: Yogita Limaye) (Image: Caters)

On further investigations, he confessed of having [been] involved in the gruesome murder of the innocent lady,” he said.

McLaughlin’s clothing was found near the crime scene on Wednesday and Taveres said the investigation was now focused on finding her mobile phone.

Criticism of the police handling of the case emerged after a British national living in the area was asked to help identify Danielle.

(Image: Caters) (Image: Yogita Limaye)

Saskia Gall said there had been significant “contamination of evidence” at the crime scene.

“We went out to the field and there were about 30 or more men standing next to the body taking photos and watching,” she said.

She also questioned police claims that McLaughlin had been found in a pool of blood. “There are a tonne of holes in the police story and I know for a fact this is not the end of it,” she said.

Goan police are under pressure to investigate the case transparently after being accused of overlooking evidence in the death nine years ago of British teenager Scarlett Keeling.

The 15-year-old’s death in the north of the state was initially ruled an accidental drowning, before pressure from the girl’s mother forced a second autopsy.

It revealed evidence of drugs in her system, more than 50 cuts and bruises as well as evidence of sexual assault.

Two men charged with her murder were acquitted in September, but Indian authorities are appealing against the judgment.