Dublin woman found guilty of ‘torturing and killing’ elderly man

A woman has been found guilty of murdering a 63-year-old man who was subjected to a “protracted torturing and killing”.

Sabrina Cummins, aged 37,of Ringsend Park, Dublin 4, pleaded not guilty to murdering Thomas Horan, 63, at Cambridge Court, Ringsend, on January 6, 2014.

After deliberating for five hours and 12 minutes, the jury brought in a unanimous verdict of guilty at the Central Criminal Court.

Upon hearing the verdict, Cummins held back her tears before running out of the courtroom and sobbing loudly at the holding cell.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt

said it was “abundantly clear” from medical evidence that Mr Horan met a horrific death, as well as there being the input of more than one person in this event.

“The surrounding evidence of CCTV is a good window into what was going on that night and the enormous amount of lies told,” said Mr Justice Hunt.

Both Sabrina Cummins and her brother Kenneth Cummins, 28, will be sentenced on Friday when a victim impact statement will be read.

Kenneth initially pleaded not guilty to the charge but last week, four weeks into the trial, changed his plea to guilty.

Opening the trial, prosecution counsel Remy Farrell SC told the jury the siblings murdered an elderly man to cover up a robbery.

Counsel said both accused called to the victim’s house in the early hours of the morning in question. Their intention was to get money, he said, adding: “They decided to rob him and decided to kill him.”

They were arrested two days after Mr Horan’s body was found.

A woman who called herself Joanna called 999 saying she had found the body of her friend, the court heard.

Garda Ciaran Sweeney told the court that, on the morning in question, Sabrina Cummins identified herself to him as ‘Joanna’ and said she had seen the victim’s body through his window.

It was “absolutely impossible” to see in the window Ms Cummins had referred to, Gda Sweeney told the court.

State pathologist Marie Therese Cassidy said Mr Horan died as a result of asphyxia.

“There were signs of asphyxia and his face was red and congested,” said Prof Cassidy. “It had a deep red colouring and the white of the eye was congested. These are indications that somebody has been asphyxiated.”

Cummins later admitted attacking the deceased but told a jury that her brother is responsible for his death.

“I only kicked Tom and punched him, I didn’t do anything else to Tom. There was a belt there and a knife, I had no part in that. When he [Kenneth] goes off on one, he goes off on one,” she said.

Prosecution counsel told the jury in his closing speech that this was “a protracted torturing and killing of another human being”.