This article is from page 85 of the 2008-05-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 85 JPG
SHARON Collins claimed to gardai that she had been the victim of black- mail and denied being part of a con- spiracy.
However, Prosecution for the State, Tom O’Connell said, “The State says this was a lie. She admitted filing pictures that Essam Eid had in his possession. She admitted obtaining a proxy marriage certificate that was unknown to PJ Howard.”
In her statements to gardai, de- scribed by Mr O’Connell as “volu- minous’, Ms Collins said a woman named Maria Marconi visited Ennis in June 2006.
She said that Ms Marconi visited her at the Howards’ office in Ennis, where she was left on her own at re- ception. She said that Ms Marconi had asked to use the computer at the reception.
“She claims she received emails that she would pay €20,000 so that
an attachment would not be sent to her husband.
‘That was an email she had sent to Maria, saying things about PJ that She didn’t want PJ to see,’ said Mr O’Connell.
“She got in contact with Maria Marconi, who told her her computer had been stolen,’ he added.
He said that Ms Collins sent money by FedEx. She denied that she knew Essam Eid and told gardai she no longer had an email address for Mar-
1a Marcon.
Mr O’Connell said that Ms Collins “denied anything to do with ‘lyin- geyes’ email”.
He said she had taken steps to change her name by deed poll to Howard.
He said that in April 2006, Ms Col- lins had a row with PJ Howard “over personal matters”.
“She told Maria on email and the attachment was about this and she was afraid if PJ found out, it would
end their relationship and that was why she sent the money,” said Mr O’Connell.
The trial was told that Essam Eid claimed to know Sharon Collins and told gardai he used to date her.
“He then changed his tune and denied having certain communica- tions with Sharon Collins,” said Mr O’Connell.
“A lot of what was said by Sharon Collins and Essam Eid was confabu- lation and lies,” he added.