‘Lying Eyes’ won’t go back to Ennis when released
According to her solicitor, Patrick Moylan, Collins, 47, feels she cannot return to Ennis due to the media intrusion into her life.
Mr Moylan made his comments after photos appeared of Collins and her mother, Bernadette in one Sunday newspaper with a second paper on Monday publishing a photograph of Bernadette Collins at her door during a visit by Collins to her mother’s home at the weekend.
The photos of Collins were the first new photos of her to appear since she was jailed in 2008 when she was convicted of soliciting a hit man, Essam Eid, 56, from a website to kill her partner, PJ Howard and his two sons.
Collins was sentenced to six years in jail and is due for release before the end of the year.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Moylan said: “Sharon has lived in Ennis all of her life and loves the town.
“However, given the current focus that is on her, she feels that she cannot return to Ennis and draw this attention on her family and friends.
“Sharon is upset at the effect this level of media intrusion is having on her family and friends.”
Mr Moylan stated that Bernadette Collins had recovered from the media intrusion at the time of the trial and the weekend events “have set her back again”.
“Bernadette is afraid to open her door as while it could be family or friends, it could equally be the tabloid press.”
“Sharon was allowed to visit her mother at her home on compassionate grounds as her mother found visiting the prison too stressful,” the statement read.
“Sharon is concerned that this attention could have a damaging effect on her mother’s health.
Last October, the Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed Collins’s appeal against the conviction of soliciting Eid to kill Mr Howard and his two sons.
During the trial in 2008, the court was told that Collins used the name ‘Lying Eyes’ to contact Eid by email.
Eid, who called himself Tony Luciano, described himself as a hitman-for-hire on a website.
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