A MAN charged with the murder of a Scottish mother in Mauritius tried to kill himself in custody, it has been reported.

Kamlesh Mansingh, one of the three suspects arrested in the murder of Janice Farman, attempted to hang himself in his cell last Friday at Coromandel police station, but was stopped by an officer on duty.

Janice Farman was killed earlier this month during a suspected botched robbery on the tropical island.

Ms Farman, originally thought to be from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, was working as managing director for data capture firm PECS Data Services before she was murdered.

Mansingh, 25, who was transferred to the Moka Detention Center, is believed to have already confessed to her killing.

The Herald:

He is accused of the murder alongside Ravish Rao Fakhoo, also 25, and Anish Soneea, 18.

Both Fakhoo and Mansingh made a second appearance before a judge yesterday in court in Port Louis, and were remanded in custody. They first appeared in court last Tuesday.

The men are from the Quatre Bornes area of the Indian Ocean island. Soneea appeared in court on Friday and was remanded until July 21.

According to local media, Fakhoo and Soneea blame Mansingh for the killing, claiming he was the mastermind behind the plan to rob Ms Farman.

Axcel Chenney, who works for L'Express newspaper in Mauritius, told media: "Fakhoo, the first one to be arrested, admitted the crime, shortly after the arrest of a third suspect, Soneea.

"The police have yet to communicate on how it happened but some of the information from the investigation has leaked."

Earlier this week all three took part in a reconstruction under police guard. Dressed in police issue bullet-proof vests, the men were taken to Ms Faram's house in the town of Albion, on the west of the island.

Crowds gathered to watch the trio as they acted out the events which allegedly led to Ms Farman's death on July 7. Sources close to the case say that all three have admitted being in the ex-pat's house on the night she died.

Her body was found after her 10-year-old son, who is autistic, raised the alarm immediately the killing. He called his mother's work colleague after the gang fled, saying: “My mum’s mouth is covered in blood and she is not breathing.”

A post-mortem found Ms Farman was suffocated after her neck was compressed. She was well known in Mauritius, making headlines when she adopted her son, who remains under the care of local child services.

A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office said: "We are assisting the family of a British woman following her death in Mauritius, and are in contact with the local authorities."

The intruders fled with a number of items, including jewellery and her car which was later found abandoned by the side of the road.

Ms Farman first visited Mauritius in 1999 and later went to live in the country after her first husband went there to work.

A Mauritius Police Force spokesman said: "A provisional charge of murder has been lodged against them. No plea has been entered at this stage.

"They have been remanded to police cells until July 25. The inquiry is still ongoing."