Jailed Perrin will be entitled to state pension

Disgraced former judge Heather Perrin will be entitled to collect a pension from her time on the bench.

Perrin was this afternoon jailed for two and a half years for deceiving a family friend into leaving almost €500,000 to her children.

In a statement this afternoon, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said he had been considering impeaching the 61 year old - but this was no longer necessary as she resigned on Monday.

Normally, 20 years service is required for a full pension in the District Court and a pro-rata pension may be paid after five years, if retiring on established medical grounds.

But under the Pensions Act, a person who has served a minimum of two years is entitled to apply for a preserved pension on reaching 65 years.

At Perrin's sentencing, Judge Mary Ellen Ring said the case was one of the most serious breaches of trust to have come before the courts.

The defence called it a very public fall from grace. The 61 year old cried and hugged her husband as she was jailed.