Corbett children ‘happy as Larry’ to be in care of aunt and uncle

The Limerick grandmother of the two Corbett children who are finally in the care of their aunt and uncle last night told how her granddaughter had told her on the phone “she was happy as Larry, and she loves me”.

Rita Corbett and her husband John, whose son Jason was bludgeoned to death in his home in North Carolina on August 2, told the Irish Examiner of the nightmare they have gone through since the death of their youngest son and not knowing if they would ever again see Jack, 10, and Sarah, 8.

The children’s stepmother, Molly Martens, 32, had been fighting for custody of the children since Mr Corbett’s brutal death.

Mr Corbett’s sister Tracey Lynch and her husband David travelled to the US to claim their right to bring the children back to Ireland as they are Irish citizens and they were named as guardians of the children by Jason in his will. The children are currently in their care ahead of another hearing today after which it is hoped Jack and Sarah will formally be allowed to be returned to Ireland, perhaps as early as this weekend.

Mr Corbett, 39, was found dead in an upstairs bedroom of the luxury home he shared with Ms Martens, who he married following the death of his first wife, Mags Fitzpatrick, the mother of the children, from an asthma attack in 2006.

Speaking at their home in Colbert Park, Limerick, John and Rita Corbett told of their ongoing trauma. Mr Corbett, 80, a retired truck driver said: “It has been a terrible sad time for my wife and myself and the whole family. Jason was a twin, the babies of our eight children.”

Mrs Corbett said now that her grandchildren are to come back to Limerick, she wants justice for her son and that his killer be brought to justice. “It has been a nightmare. It should never have come to this. We just had to cope.”

Mr Corbett told how he heard the news the children were now in the care of his daughter Tracey and her husband David yesterday.

“A neighbour, Tony Cronin, who is living in London, rang one of my sons to say he heard it on one of the channels and our son then rang us at around seven this morning.”

Mrs Corbett said: “At least we will now be able to grieve and my son can rest in peace. That’s what we want. He wouldn’t rest in peace if his children were not brought home. I was speaking to Sarah yesterday. She was as happy as Larry and told me she loved me. She didn’t say anything about coming back, I don’t think they had told her then. They know their dad is dead, because they have been told. She was only on the phone a very short time. Jack shouted from behind her and said ‘Hi’ and that they were going to breakfast. Tracey, my daughter had them. Sarah sounded alright.

“When they come back, they will be with Tracey and David and their family.”