It has emerged that Sharon Collins who was convicted of hiring a hitman to kill her former partner and his 2 sons has been released from prison.
The 49-year-old who used the e-mail alias “lying eyes” walked free from Mountjoy Women’s Prison yesterday in advance of her final release date this December.
She always denied soliciting a Las Vegas poker dealer to kill Ennis Businessman PJ Howard and his sons Robert and Niall but was found guilty in 2008 following one of the longest legal trials in Ireland and sentenced to 6 years behind bars.
The mother-of-two visited her family in Ennis recently on short temporary release but yesterday she walked free from jail 3 months ahead of the official expiry of her prison term.
Her solicitor has confirmed to Clare FM that her release is seen as “a temporary – but long term measure” as she is unlikely to return to jail and will officially be a free woman in December.
Her location is being kept private for now.
She previously stated she is unlikely to return to Ennis amid concerns about media intrusion and its effects on her family.
Related stories
href="http://www.newstalk.ie/2011/news/woman-loses-appeal-for-soliciting-so-called-hitman/">Woman loses appeal for soliciting so-called hitman
href="http://www.newstalk.ie/2010/uncategorized/collins-appeal-for-conspiracy-to-murder-outlined/">Collins appeal for conspiracy to murder outlined
href="http://www.newstalk.ie/2010/uncategorized/collins-conspiring-to-murder-appeal-continues/">Collins conspiring to murder appeal continues