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GREED, deceit, callousness, dishon- esty, arrogance and manipulation were at the centre of Sharon Collins’ desires to have the Howards mur- dered.

The divorced mother-of-two had known PJ Howard to see since she was an innocent young girl grow- ing up in the town of Ennis. PJ was a wealthy businessman and she was an ambitious young girl.

Tragically, her ultimate ambitions ran too deep and inspired her to piece together a devious and cunning plan to have PJ murdered. Collins (45) enjoyed good times with PJ Howard – a lavish lifestyle, a loving partner and secure employment. But she was overcome by greed and she wanted everything – PJ’s millions. She had grown up in a modest background in Ennis and having tasted the high life, she wanted more.

She believed she was invincible and was of the view that the uncanny way in which she operated her plan would not backfire. Before going online and searching for an assassin, Collins had compiled a list of targets. PJ was target number one, but that was not the end of it. She believed that she

would not be able to get her hands on PJ’s wealth unless his sons Rob- ert (29) and Niall (25) were also out of the equation. A fourth target was also considered but this was not pro- ceeded with.

With her plan hatched, she coolly went online and sought to hire a hit- man. She came upon the ‘hitman- forhire’ website and went about her eevee

She set up the email address lyingeyes98@yahoo.ie for the pur- pose of hiring a hitman. The email address in itself has much relevance to her relationship with PJ Howard – they became an item in 1998; that was also the year his partner died; while the ‘lying eyes’ song by The Eagles was penned about a rich old man falling for a beautiful young woman before she cheated on him.

Collins was brazen and this was highlighted by the fact that some of the emails to ‘hitman’ were sent from a computer in the Downes and Howard office, where PJ had em- ployed her as a part-time secretary.

Over dozens of emails, Collins described in detail to ‘hitman’ the background as to why she wanted to wipe out the Howards. She wanted to inherit PJ’s money and she was intent

on doing this. The level of detail con- tained in the emails was remarkable. They indicated her deep desire to en- sure her plan was carried out.

In those emails, she coldly dis- cussed methods of killing the Howards – the possibility that Robert and Niall would die in an accident or be poisoned and PJ would be thrown from his 14th floor apartment in Spain in an apparent ‘suicide’ were mentioned.

Her intent was clear when she sent a down payment of €15,000 via FedEx in Shannon to the home of the man she was hiring.

‘Hitman’ was ordered to ensure the computers from the Downes and Howard office disappeared, so that incriminating evidence would not be available, if her actions were ever 1n- vestigated.

However, for all her devious plan- ning, Collins did not anticipate that ‘hitman’ would make the move to contact one of the targets, which ulti- mately led to her plan backfiring. Es- sam Eid (53) could not contact her on the evening of September 26, 2006, and instead decided to ring Robert Howard and attempt to buy out the contract. The web had become entan- gled and while gardai were not aware

of her involvement at this stage, as the story unravelled, Collins’ name aslo exer

She was arrested in February 2007 and questioned. She maintained her innocence and concocted a story about being set up due to her associa- tion with a mysterious American au- thor called Maria Marconi. In three detailed letters to the DPP – written in March, April and May 2007 – she pleaded that she not be charged, sug- gesting that if charges were brought it would have an adverse effect on her family and on PJ Howard.

But a huge volume of evidence had been collected. Gardai had got their hands on the computers at the cen- tre of the case and crucial email evi- dence had been uncovered. Collins was in the spotlight. Within weeks of her third letter to the DPP, she was charged. Yet, when the case came to trial, she maintained her innocent plea.

In the witness box, Collins denied profusely that she had been involved in a plot to kill the Howards and said that PJ had been very good to her. Put under pressure to name who may have set her up, she refused to do so. She was also reluctant to be drawn on allegations she had made about PJ

Howard, in a letter to the Gerry Ryan show on RTE 2FM in April 2006. In the letter, she had claimed that her partner had used prostitutes and transvestites and had encouraged her to take part in strange sex.

Asked three times were the contents in the letter true, she said, “Some of it was, but a lot of that letter wasn’t true and doesn’t give the full picture. I feel it shouldn’t have been used in here.”

But crucially she showed two con- trasting personalities in the witness box – the jury saw a cool, confident and smiling Collins during one of her two days’ evidence, followed by a tearful and sad Collins the follow- bITae rN

Her arrogance and self-assured at- titude on her first visit to the witness box were replaced by a pale-faced women in considerable difficulty the following day.

The jurors were not convinced by her and decided that she was guilty on all six charges she had faced. Ulti- mately, Sharon Collins must pay the price for her greed, dishonesty and or NOLO LEIS a ehsh

PJ HOWARD appealed to the judge not to send Sharon Collins to jail and he refuted allegations made against him during the course of the trial.

The 59-year-old staunchly defended his partner and said he will not give up on her. He pleaded for leniency for the woman he described as ‘car- ing, loving and decent’.

In a victim impact statement deliv- ered to the court yesterday, he said he would have no hesitation in liv- ing with her again and said she was one of the nicest people he was lucky enough to have met.

He started by addressing the alle- gations made against him during the trial, in a letter emailed by Collins to

the Gerry Ryan show on RTE 2FM. In that letter, only part of which was retrieved, Collins had claimed he used prostitutes and transvestites and had encouraged her to engage in strange sex. For the first time yester- day, he publicly rejected those alle- gations.

“I would like to take this opportu- nity to refute the allegations made against me in the court case and I wish to deny any and all of those al- legations.

‘IT have never seen nor was I told by gardai about an email that was supposedly sent to the Gerry Ryan Show,” he stated.

He then spoke of his relationship with, and devotion to, Collins.

“IT have known Sharon Collins for

approximately nine years. During that time she had made a good home for us all and we were extremely happy together and got on very well. Sharon has a positive outlook on life and she was very loving and giving of her time to our extended families. Sharon always kept an even keel and I have never known her to do any- thing drastic over those years. She is a very straightforward and honest person and if she wanted anything She would ask,” he said.

“Sharon is, in my opinion, one of the nicest people you could ever have been fortunate to know. She is a car- ing, loving and decent lady,” said PJ Howard.

He said the whole event has been emotional and stressful for him per-

sonally. “I will not give up on Sharon and would have no hesitation what- soever in living with her again,” he added.

Reading from his statement, the multi-millionaire asked Mr Justice Roderick Murphy to consider Shar- on’s redeeming qualities and asked him to be lenient in imposing sen- tence.

“IT am asking the court not to im- pose a custodial sentence as I do not believe that Sharon poses any threat to my sons.

“T ask the court to consider how a prison sentence would affect her mother, her two sons and myself,’ he said.

Oe Witwer TRO.CecOnOMMcsKen IRIN MSIRE ation for me and the prospect of Sha-

ron being in prison for a long time 1s adding to this stress,” he said.

He said he did not accept a submis- sion from the State at a bail hearing – after his partner was charged last year – that he was in fear of his life.

“IT am not in any way in fear of Sharon. I have always made this per- fectly clear to the gardai that I was never in fear of Sharon either before and again after the guilty verdict,’ he CrHOe

He said that while his sons Robert and Niall had been asked for victim impact statements by the gardai, he was not.

“At no stage was that courtesy ex- tended to me even though they have my telephone numbers and I am im- mediately contactable,” he said.

SHARON Collins was a wonderful mother to her two sons, who have both been badly affected by the high-profiled case, according to her former husband.

Noel Collins took to the witness stand to give a character reference for the mother of his two sons.

He explained how they had got married in 1983, when Collins was just 19.

They had two sons together, Gary

(25) and David (22), but the marriage did not work out and they separated in 1989. They were annulled two years later.

He said that they endured a tough few years together.

“The eighties was a tough time for

most people, albeit something similar that is happening now. There was a recession. Things evolved over time. It didn’t work out. We got separated,’ said Noel Collins.

He said that while she was granted custody of their sons, she never re-

stricted his access to them. “I could have had access any time I wanted,’ he said.

“Sharon always has been a great mother to the boys, very supportive. She put the boys first,” he said.

He said that both sons have been mentally and physically affected by the event and both have now moved to live with him in Dublin. David had to take a very tough decision to leave his job in Ennis to move to Dublin during the summer.

“It has had a massive effect on my- self and on Sharon’s mother. She’s a shadow of her former self. She’s on God knows how much medication. She used to be the life and soul. She used to love to dance. She doesn’t go out any more,” he said.

Written character references were handed in to the court from the Bishop of Killaloe Dr Willie Walsh, the Mayor of Ennis Councillor Pe- ter Considine, the deputy governor of Mountjoy women’s prison — who described her as a model prisoner — along with fromer friends of Collins.

Bishop Walsh said that while he did not want to interfere with the crimi- nal justice system, he did not believe that a lengthy prison sentence would be in line with the common good or would serve restorative justice.

He described Collins as an open, truthful and caring person and he was unable to make sense of the enormous event that had happened.

SHARON Collins told her psycholo- gist she did not commit the offences of which she was convicted, during a meeting with him just weeks ago.

Clinical psychologist Brian Glan- ville carried out a pscyhometric eval- uation of Sharon Collins’ personal- ity, having met her on September 4 and 22 last, at the women’s prison in Mountjoy.

He concluded that her personality

style appeared to be that of a passive, detached but dependent personality.

He said that she suffers from high levels of anxiety and depression and will find her prison term particularly difficult.

‘A personality like that is likely to find themselves in conflict,” he said. He said this type of personality would have a strong need for emotional sup- port, but would feel swamped in re- lationships.

He said that Collins had high levels

of anxiety and depression.

“She would have particular difficul- ties with lengthy prison sentences. She is going to find herself in a situa- tion where she would have very little in common with the other inmates,” he noted.

He said that Collins was of the view that she had been subjected to unwel- come media attention and felt under “adverse media pressure”.

He said she was particularly con- cerned that a conversation she had

with PJ Howard, during a visit to her at Mountjoy jail, had been leaked to the media.

He said she may become more withdrawn and isolated, in the sur- roundings of the prison. “That could have quite serious consequences for her,” he said.

Una Ni Raifeartaigh, BL for the prosecution, asked him did Collins suffer from any psychiatric illness and he said she did not.

Mr Glanville said Collins had ex-

pressed concerns for her sons but when asked had she expressed simi- lar concern for her mother, he said he did not recall for sure.

Asked had she been concerned about the Howards, he said, “I don’t have any recollection about that.”

Ms Ni Raifeartaigh asked had Col- lins expressed remorse for her ac- tions.

He replied, “I understand she says she didn’t commit the offences. It doesn’t arise.”

THE trial relating to the accident that claimed the life of father-of-four Howard Flannery was “a case of tragedy heaped upon tragedy” with a lot of emotion, according to the state prosecutor.

In his closing speech to the jury, Stephen Coughlan, BL, said the 1s- sue was “what caused the accused to veer off the road onto the hard shoul- der and onto the grass and strike Mr wtlioa wae

“There was nothing remarkable about his driving, until he began to

veer off the road. Dangerous driving is caused by negligence. If you are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the accused drove dangerously, you must convict. If you decide he didn’t, you must acquit. Simple as that,’ he said.

“Nobody gets into a motor car intending to kill anybody, be it a motorist, a pedestrian or a cyclist, but dangerous driving is caused by negligence,” he told the jury of eight women and four men.

He said that Michael Dillon had put in a long, strenuous, 22-hour day the day before the accident and was tired.

He noted that medical examinations carried out on the accused after the accident concluded that the accident was “an unexplained event.”

‘The State is asking you to draw an inference that this unexplained event was caused by the fatigue which the accused was labouring under,’ he said. He said that Mr Dillon had been a tired driver and was slow to react.

However, in his closing speech last Thursday, Anthony Sammon, SC, for Michael Dillon, said the State’s in- ference that fatigue had been a factor was “slightly over-egging the pud- ding.” He said at no stage had it been

put to the accused by gardai that he had fallen asleep.

“Tt has been conjured up during this case. It wasn’t even told to you in the Opening (speech to the jury). The word ‘sleep’ wasn’t even mentioned in the opening,” he said.

“This is a difficult case because of the horror of a decent man, Mr Flannery, losing his life. The horrific consequences of that on his family, colossal. The pressures on my client and his family, colossal,” he said.

“Confronted by the emotional cliff face that hangs it all, you must not lose sight or develop any blindness

because of emotion,’ he urged the jury.

Judge Gerard Griffin told the jury it was important to note that the first mention of fatigue in the pros- ecution’s case had been during the cross-examination of Mr Dillon by Mr Coughlan. “It will be a matter for you which of the prosecution evi- dence you regard,’ the judge told the ury.

He told the jury if they found that the driving was careless rather than dangerous, it was open to them to find the accused guilty of careless driving.

INSTITUTIONAL — respite care could be a thing of the past for peo- ple with disabilities as Home Share Clare grows in popularity.

The Brothers of Charity Services initiative encourages friendships that see people with disabilities spend time with new friends and families, giving their own family a break from a full time caring role.

Developed in 2007 by the Broth- ers of Charity Services in Clare, the service offers people the opportunity

to live within a family home, experi- ence the local community and at the same time build new relationships and friendships.

To date nine people have availed of the Home Share service while six more individuals and families are being assessed.

‘The person we place can enjoy a break or a holiday in a homely at- mosphere and their parents and sib- lings will have a break from their full time caring role. In return, families and the person get the opportunity to learn more about disability while

caring and sharing in their own home,’ explained Nicola Garrehy, Children’s Co-ordinator.

The Brothers of Charity main- tain that the new service leads to a more lasting and unique relationship, which can be nurtured for many years to come.

“Tt is more natural for the individ- ual involved. This is evident in the strong bonds and attachments that have been developed over the year,” said Ms Garrehy.

“Tt instils confidence in the indi- vidual. They know it is a friend-

ship because it is not someone from school or someone that’s being paid that they are spending time with,” she said.

Ms Garrehy explained that experi- ence working with disabilities is not necessary to take on the role of home Stee

Personal qualities are more impor- tant than qualifications or experi- ence, she said.

Careful consideration goes into matching individuals, with personal- ities, interests and availability taken into consideration.

Training and support is provided before Home Sharing even starts and throughout the experience.

Those that sign up are asked to commit to five breaks a year. This can range for a day out to a week’s Tey eCer-Nie

Ms Garrehy said that in the experi- ence of the initiative people meet up far more often that the required five times as friendships form.

Those interested in getting involved with Home Share are asked to con- tact Patricia O’Meara by calling 087 6680081.

WHEN Martin Murphy fired in an early goal for Newmarket, Paul Col- lins had a bad feeling it was going to a long day. Just over an hour later he stood on the turf of Cusack Park, the captain of the county champions. The day could go on for as long as it liked. Sree l elem sere imconoilee

“Its great. Who’d have thought it? Jesus its unreal” said Collins, “Who would have thought it this time last year. Its beyond our wildest eee beeline

It was a tough day but in the end

Clonlara’s spirit and sense of to- getherness shone through a chilly October afternoon. The bond estab- lished between the Conlara players was tested over 60 minutes of hard hurling. But the bond never broke. Collins and Clonlara never stopped believing.

“T was kind of worried alright”, said Collins of Newmarket’s fast start, “I thought they were going to be pump- ing balls into us like that all night.

“But they didn’t. I knew we’d settle into it again. We kind of got caught, they were switching over and back and we settled into it again after erie

“The wind kind of picked up. The ball just kept coming our way. They got two or three quick points there. I thought they were going to keep steamrolling but lucky enough, thank God, we got areply and we held them back a bit”.

Collins praised the never say die at- titude of his teammates.

“T think it’s my 12th year playing with the senior team. This team they are never beaten.

“They just keep coming and coming and coming. The confidence within the team is unreal and they are just able to carry it through. They’re bril- bevel Mae

THE VOICES of 200 school chil- dren from six east Clare schools will mark the opening this Friday of a festival aimed at keeping the miseries of winter at bay for a while more.

The Féile Eile festival in Killaloe will be joined by a 25 piece Bavar- ian big band who happened to be staying in the area for Friday’s one off gig.

The fesitival centres on family and childrens’ events over the bank holi-

day weekend and will feature mu- sic, film and art shows as well as a number of interactive workshops. The festival is organised by Music in the Glen – a not-for-profit organi- sation that runs a number of music projects in the local area, including beginner strings lessons, music and drama clubs and a children’s choir. Music in the Glen founder Diane Daly said, “There are hundreds of spring and summer festivals around the area, but in the autumn, when people really need cheering up, there wasn’t anything for children

to get involved in. An Féile Eile will fill this gap and put a smile on local faces as we head into the winter.”

One of the highlights of the week- end will be a full cinematic show- ing of two rare Laurel and Hardy films, accompanied by a quartet of live musicians providing an original soundtrack.

On the fun agenda are a fam- ily friendly gig with six-piece soul sensation Hunka Burning Love, a ghostly shadow puppet theatre show, and an interactive art installation.

The festival will open at 10am on

Friday with a ‘schools song sum- mit’ in which children from Killaloe Boys, Killaloe Girls, Bridgetown, Ballina and Boher schools will come together as a choir.

“We have had a lot of support and we want to gratefully acknowledge support from the Killaloe Family Resource Centre, St Flannan’s Ca- thedral, the Lakeside Hotel, Kincora Hall Hotel, Tipperary Arts Office, Clare Arts Office, Killaloe girls, Killaloe boys, Bridgetown, Ballina and Boher National Schools,’ said Diane.

TEENAGERS with disabilities are losing up to €7,200 a year in funding for subsidising support requirements and helping families with respite.

That’s according to Shannon coun- cillor Tony Mulcahy, whose 16-year- old daughter is one of the many Irish teenagers receiving the disability al- lowance.

The Fine Gael councillor was criti- cal of the Government’s decision to remove the disability allowance from teenagers until they are 18- years-old.

‘Those that have it will keep it, so my daughter will continue to get it. But this is not about one person, it is about all the other teenagers and their families who will now go with- out,” he said.

Until now, children with special needs or a disability received the domiciliary care allowance worth €299.50 a month until the age of 16, at which point they automatically re- ceived the disability allowance.

The Government has extended the first payment to those aged 18 and removed the disability allowance.

Under the 2009 budget, the disabil-

ity allowance will increase to €204 per week, leaving a difference be- tween the two payments of approxi- mately €500 per month.

Councillor Mulcahy said that the travel pass also came into place at 16, as did the medical card, but these will also be lost due to the new OA atetene

The availability of a medical card for 16 to 18 year olds with disabili- ties will now depend on their fami- ly’s income.

The issue was raised in the Dail on Wednesday by Deputy Kathleen Lynch who said there was over a two

year waiting list for occupational therapy, speech and language thera- py and social skills training.

“Families use the allowance to bypass the waiting list and seek the care and intervention necessary for their children. A cut in their allow- ance, €7,000 a year, will result in many children not getting the help they so urgently need.”

Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said the pre- budget age limit was established in RSP

“It was linked to ability to work at a time when most young people

would have left school by the end of 16 years to enter the workforce,” she ene

“The social welfare system does not, in general, provide benefits which could be viewed as encour- aging early school leaving and, ac- cordingly, 18 is normally used as the minimum age for qualification for means-tested payments in a person’s own right.”

She said the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies said in its budget submission that the payment may al- low a child to fall into the depend- ency trap too early.

THE Canon Hamilton cup was on its way to the Clonlara dressing room as a few ashen-faced Newmarket players made their exit from Cusack Park.

A heavy silence hung around the Blues dressing room. Another final lost, another chance to end the wait for a senior title gone up in smoke. Kieran Devitt stopped for a few words. The goalkeeper and captain had no excuses and little complaint

with the final result.

“We couldn’t have any complaints”, said Devitt, “The better team won on the day. It was just one of those days. We had all the breaks against St Joseph’s. We got no breaks today. I’d have no complaints. I don’t think the boys have either. The better team won on the day”.

Understandably upset and frus- trated, Devitt wasn’t said that while the conditions were far from ideal, they were the same for both teams although he had a few harsh words

for the Clare County Board.

“The conditions were the same for both teams, as I said, the better team VCO) U mOsm Ns eM OER YA

“The conditions were bad alright. It’s a bit of a joke. The County Board is a bit of a joke being honest, playing matches at this time of the year any- way. We’ve all year to play matches in fairness. Like I said we’ve no com- OeNbOL ASE

“The better team won and I hope they enjoy. I hope we’ll be back next year’.