Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Irish Hitman Case

The Irish Times reported this complicated hitman case which went to trial last June.

The trial of a Clare woman and a Las Vegas poker dealer accused of hiring a conspiring to kill her partner and his two sons has entered its closing stages.

The jury in the trial of Ms Sharon Collins (45), with an address at Ballybeg House, Kildysart Road Ennis and Mr Essam Eid (52), an Egyptian man with a Las Vegas address have heard the prosecution closing speech and that of Ms Collins defence.

This story has just about everything, a hitman from Las Vegas, a disgruntled millionaire's wife who resorts to murder. And just when we thought it couldn't get more interesting, CNN reports what happened at the sentencing.
A wealthy Irish businessman has pleaded with a judge not to jail his partner -- a woman who hired a hitman to kill him and his two sons for his $76 million fortune.

P.J. Howard's impassioned request to Dublin's Central Criminal Court is the latest twist in a case that has grabbed headlines in the Republic of Ireland and sparked comparisons with the plot of a crime novel.

Heedless of the husband's pleading, the judge sentenced Sharon Collins to 6 years. But, wait a minute. Does that sound right to you? Is this some kind of Irish leniency which would be difficult for Americans to understand? Or is this the enlightened approach to crime management that I'm often championing?

Often, my complaint is when a mentally impaired individual receives an extremely harsh sentence. Also, I usually feel white collar criminals should not go to jail at all. But, when someone is cool and calculating enough to hire a hitman, I wonder if it's safe to put that person away for just a few years, just long enough to nurture the resentment and make proper contacts for doing it better upon release. It seems her big mistake was trying to hire that guy from Vegas at a bargain.

The fact that P. J. Howard was pleading for her freedom is too bizarre to even comment on. Was that true love?

What do you think about this fascinating case from Ireland?

1 comment:

  1. 6 years for attempted murder?

    i dont know if we'd get a much different verdict here in the states...

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