A court was told yesterday that a 44-year-old Co Clare woman is innocent of the charge of conspiring to murder, together with a man from Las Vegas, her partner's two sons.
At Ennis District Court, Sharon Collins, Ballybeg House, Kildysart Road, Ennis and Essam Eid (52) appeared, having being charged with conspiring together to murder two Ennis businessmen in their 20s, Robert and Niall Howard, some time between August 16th and September 26th last year. Mr Eid was further remanded in custody to re-appear before Ennis District Court on October 5th, while Ms Collins was remanded on bail to re-appear before the court on October 26th.
Ms Collins was charged last June and her solicitor, Eugene O'Kelly, told the court yesterday that "since then, not one single piece of evidence has been produced to substantiate the charge against my client".
"This is unfair, unjust and unacceptable," Mr O'Kelly added: "If the State wasn't so impatient to bring the charge, my client wouldn't have spent the past summer with the very oppressive shadow of suspicion upon her, while the State scurried around the world looking for evidence."
Mr O'Kelly said his client was entitled to know what evidence there was against her "in this outlandish charge, which she has always replied to with one simple answer: 'I am innocent'."
Mr O'Kelly said the book of evidence against his client should be completed without further delay. "My client is entitled to fair procedure."
At the previous court sitting, Supt John Scanlan said the case in relation to Mr Eid involved "an international conspiracy to murder", which the Garda was investigating in the US, Ireland and Spain. He said: "The case is essentially where the State alleges the conspiracy to murder came about through the use of internet and telephone contacts."
In court yesterday, solicitor for Mr Eid, Siobhán McMahon, demanded the charge against Mr Eid be struck out and that he be released due to the State's failure to bring the book of evidence. Ms McMahon said: "My client has been in custody for one year now, which is grossly unfair."
