Anne Shortall’s family should have been celebrating her birthday last Wednesday. Instead, they put flowers on her grave, her son told the Central Criminal Court on Friday evening.
Roy Webster (40) of Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow was, on Friday morning, found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict of the murder of Ms Shortall (47) at The Murrough near Wicklow Town on April 3rd, 2015.
Justice Patrick McCarthy sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Webster beat Ms Shortall to death with a hammer after she threatened to tell his wife about a one-night stand they had the previous Christmas.
Before sentencing, Justice McCarthy heard brief statements by each of Anne’s children – Alanna, Emma and David.
In a written statement read to the court by Alanna, David said: “On Wednesday I should have been embracing my mother with open arms and saying ‘happy birthday’. Instead, I put flowers on her grave.”
Emma said she had lost her mam, best friend and confidante. “There is a void in my life that can never be filled.”
Alanna said the person she relied on most was taken away “suddenly and violently. My mother was not meant to die, her life was taken from her. She will never get to see her grandchildren grow up.”
Anne’s siblings and close family penned a joint statement revealing Anne’s brother James became so depressed by what had happened that he took his own life seven weeks after her brutal murder.
“Our family will never be the same,” the statement said.
Webster's barrister Brendan Grehan SC then stood up to tell the court that his client wanted to say sorry to all who had been effected, especially the children of Anne Shortall and his own family. He added that, while he "bitterly regrets" what happened, "it was never his intention to injure her, much less kill her".
Webster, who shook his head in disbelief when the verdict was revealed earlier on Friday, wept before the judge asked him to stand while he passed sentence.
“As a matter of law there is one penalty only and I imprison you to life,” Justice McCarthy said.
As prison officers brought him from court one final time he mouthed “sorry” in the direction of Ms Shortall’s family.
His sentence was backdated to April 7th, 2015, when he first went into custody
Webster met Ms Shortall at The Forge, a busy pub in Wicklow Town, during a Christmas night out on December 20th, 2014. According to statements Webster made to gardaí he went back to her house, they had sex and he fell asleep.
The court heard Ms Shortall – who was heavily in debt – came up with a plan to get Webster to give her money.
In one of a series of texts to Webster in March she said: “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I’m pregnant.”
She said she needed £6,500 for an abortion.
On Good Friday – April 3rd, 2015 – Webster picked Ms Shortall up in Wicklow Town and drove to The Murrough, a quiet area to the north of the town.
He said she threatened to tell his wife about the night they spent together on December 20th. He opened the side door of his van and grabbed a hammer, which he used to hit her nine times on the head, killing Ms Shortall.
Webster’s defence barrister Brendan Grehan SC argued that his client had lost control having been provoked by Ms Shortall. Provocation is a legal defence that reduces murder to manslaughter.
Justice McCarthy explained to the jury that if a person who kills does so having been provoked to the point where they have a total loss of self control, the correct verdict should be manslaughter and not murder.
The jury decided that the prosecution had proven that he knew what he was doing and intended to kill or cause serious injury when he hit Ms Shortall, so they found him guilty of murder.