Sharon Collins, who was convicted of conspiring to murder her partner and his two sons, has been sentenced to six years in prison by the Central Criminal Court, RTE News reports this evening.The 45-year-old Clare woman's co-accused, Essam Eid from Las Vegas, was sentenced to six years for extortion. The seven-week trial earlier this year heard that Ms Collins of Kildysart Road, Ennis, used the internet to hire a hitman to kill PJ Howard and his two sons Niall and Robert.
In court today PJ Howard asked the judge not to send Sharon Collins to jail. He described Collins as an honest person and said he was never in fear of her before or after the events of September 2006.
The prosecution said Sharon Collins was motivated by money and was trying to inherit Mr Howard's €60m fortune which was set to go to his sons. During the trial, Collins told the court she was not 'lyingeyes98' - the name of the email account used to hire a hitman. Ms Collins and Mr Eid sat silently as the evidence of the case was recapped this afternoon.
