30 - Sharon Collins: Lying Eyes, Hitman4Hire, & attempted murder

In 2006, Sharon Collins decided that what she had wasn’t enough. She was a divorced mother of two, living with a long term partner, PJ Howard, who also had two sons. He also owned a multi-million euro property business, which he wanted to pass to his sons. So much so that he wouldn’t marry Sharon in order to ensure this. But despite the lavish lifestyle Sharon lived – nice houses, a penthouse apartment in Spain, a boat, basically anything she wanted – Sharon wanted more. So, she got on her computer and between searches for weight loss and diet tips, she looked for a hitman. And she found one. Our podcast Promo this week is from our friends at Pretend Radio (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretend-radio/id1245307962) . This season is all about a strange and secretive Christian sect that Javier managed to get unprecedented access to. It’s fascinating! Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mensreapod/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/MensReaPod) ! With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com (https://www.patreon.com/MensReaPod) .  Theme Music: Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Sources: Abigail Rieley, Devil in the Red Dress (Dublin: Maverick House, 2015) Buy Here (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devil-Red-Dress-Abigail-Rieley-ebook/dp/B004WPNX4O/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=the+devil+in+the+red+dress&qid=1559843752&s=gateway&sr=8-2) Emer Connolly, Lying Eyes and the hitman for hire(Dublin: Gill and McMillan, 2008) Buy here (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lying-Eyes-Emer-Connolly/dp/0717146251/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=emer+connolly&qid=1559843827&s=gateway&sr=8-1)   Conor Lally, “Prison alert over ricin traces find” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/prison-alert-over-ricin-traces-find-1.1295221( 27 April 2007)  “Man defends partner in hitman hiring case” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-defends-partner-in-hitman-hiring-case-1.1217055 (6 June 2008)  Aoife Finneran “Hitman planned to use Ricin: Witness” in The Evening Herald https://www.herald.ie/news/courts/hitman-planned-to-use-ricin-witness-27875615.html (12 June 2008)  Aoife Finneran “Incompetent wife of hitman’s takes stand” in The Evening Herald https://www.herald.ie/news/courts/incompetent-wife-of-hitman-takes-stand-27875683.html(13 June 2008)  Abigail Rieley “’Hitman target’ kisses his accused partner” in The Evening Herald https://www.herald.ie/news/courts/hitman-target-kisses-his-accused-partner-27874870.html (6 June 2008)  “Sentenced by court, acquitted by partner” in The Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/icrime/sentenced-by-court-acquitted-by-partner-76527.html(4 November 2008)  Niamh Horan, “Everyone deserves a second chance says newly single Sharon Collins as she begins a new life in Belfast” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/everyone-deserves-a-second-chance-says-newly-single-sharon-collins-as-she-begins-a-new-life-in-belfast-31580164.html (4 October 2015)  “’For her there should be no second chance’ ‘ Hitman-for-hire slams Sharon ‘Lying Eyes’ Collins” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/for-her-there-should-be-no-second-chance-hitmanforhire-slams-sharon-lying-eyes-collins-34675173.html (1 May 2016)  “Judgment reserved in ‘lying eyes’ appeal” from RTE.ie https://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0312/128701-collinss/ (12 March 2010)  Kevin Doyle, “PJ: ‘Why I’ve spent €200K trying to clear Lying Eyes name” in The Evening Herald https://www.herald.ie/news/pj-why-ive-spent-200k-trying-to-clear-lying-eyes-name-27891765.html (10 November 2008)  Abigail Goldman, “Would-be Vegas hitmans’ story ends in an Irish jail” in The Las Vegas Sunhttps://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jul/20/would-be-vegas-hitmans-story-ends-irish-jail/(20 July 2008)  Denise Calnan, “’I regret not doing the job, I wish I’d done it’ LyingEyes hitman on murder contract from Sharon Collins to kill her partner businessman and his sons” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/i-regret-not-doing-the-job-i-wish-id-done-it-lying-eyes-hitman-on-murder-contract-from-sharon-collins-to-kill-her-partner-businessman-and-his-sons-30912311.html (16 January 2015)  “Woman convicted of hiring a hitman to kill partner released from jail” from Newstalk.ie https://www.newstalk.com/woman-convicted-of-hiring-hitman-to-kill-partner-released-from-jail (11 September 2012)