Clare woman who conspired to kill partner jailed for six years

THE CO CLARE woman accused of using the cyber name lyingeyes98 to hire a hitman on the internet has been sentenced to six years in prison for conspiring to kill her former partner, PJ Howard, and his two sons.

Sharon Collins's co-accused, Essam Eid (53), an Egyptian national and Las Vegas poker dealer, was also sentenced to six years for demanding money with menaces and for handling stolen property.

Eugene O'Kelly, solicitor for Collins (45), said later that there would be an appeal.

The defendants remained calm when the sentences were handed down to a packed court by Mr Justice Roderick Murphy, following an eight-week trial in the summer.

The case, however, did not lose its capacity to surprise. Collins's intended victim, Mr Howard and her former husband Noel Collins, took the stand to give their wholehearted support for a caring, supportive, loving woman, backed by a letter from Bishop Willie Walsh questioning the usefulness of a custodial sentence.

First into court yesterday, 50 minutes before the 11am start, were Mr Howard and his sons. Mr Howard had last been seen around the Four Courts in the early stages of the trial, when - although a prosecution witness - he gave evidence supportive of the accused woman and concluded by giving her a tender kiss on his way out.

Yesterday, he claimed that while his sons had been invited by investigating gardaí to give a victim impact statement, no such approach had been made to him and he had engaged solicitors of his own as a result.

When Det Sgt Michael Moloney was summoned to the stand to answer this allegation, Mr Howard paused in front of him and said: "Don't lie." On taking the stand, Det Sgt Moloney said he had informed Mr Howard of his right to make a victim impact statement.

Meanwhile, Tom O'Connell SC for the prosecution read out a statement on behalf of Robert and Niall Howard, in which they said that the "incident" had affected them socially and emotionally. "We believe it has weakened the quality of our relationship with our father." Counsel for Mr Eid said he had "no bishop coming in to say nice things about him . . . no one up there in the stand saying 'come home'. An uncertain, unhealthy future lies ahead for him."