This article is from page 1 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 1 JPG
THE trial of an Ennis woman, ac- cused of conspiring with an Egyp- tian man to murder her partner and his two sons, will enter its fifth day today at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
Sharon Collins (45), of Ballybeg House, Kildysart Road, Ennis, and Essam Eid (52), a poker dealer with an address in Las Vegas, deny con- spiring to murder PJ, Robert and Ni- all Howard, between August | and September 26, 2006.
Ms Collins also denies soliciting Mr Eid to murder the three men, on August 15, 2006.
Mr Eid has also pleaded not guilty to demanding €100,000 from Robert Howard, in exchange for not killing the three men at Ballaghboy, Doora, Ennis on September 26, 2006.
The three Howards, who are busi- nessmen in Ennis, are this week due to give evidence at the trial, which is expected to last four weeks.
Robert Howard (29) has _ started giving evidence, while his brother Niall (24) and father PJ (58) are also due to take the stand over the com- ing days.
According to the prosecution, Sha- ron Collins was keen to get mar- ried to her partner of eight years, PJ Howard. However, he did not wish to wed as he wanted his inheritance to go to his two sons.
It is alleged that Ms Collins organ- ised a proxy marriage through the internet without her partner’s knowI- edge. She then allegedly made con- tact with Essam Eid through email and, according to the State, they con-
spired to murder the three men.
The prosecution says _ that Ms Collins operated an _ email lyingeyes98@yahoo.ie while it al- leges that Mr Eid operated an email hitmanforhire@ yahoo.com.
It claims that Ms Collins set up the email ‘for the purpose of hiring a hitman’ and that a contract was made between the person behind ‘lyingeyes’ and the person behind ‘hitman’ to kill the three men for $US90,000.
Prosecutor Tom O’Connell said that on August 15, 2006, Ms Collins made a down payment of €15,000 on foot of that contract.
It is alleged that Mr Eid then trav- elled to Ennis, burgled the Howards’ family business and later visited Robert’s home, where he 1s alleged to have demanded €100,000 to buy O}UI MEH eToMmOrO) LB e-LOLKMNO)O MEET MBER oc MaU El allegations are denied.
During the course of the trial it has been uncovered that Sharon Collins was interested in inheritance and often sought information on this on computer websites, according to the prosecution.
Prosecutor Tom O’Connell told the jury on the second day of the trial last Thursday, that Ms Collins ar- ranged a marriage to PJ Howard, but he did not go through with it.