A 37-year-old Dublin woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a pensioner at his home in Ringsend.
Sabrina Cummins, with an address at Ringsend Park in Dublin, admitted attacking 63-year-old Thomas Horan, but blamed her brother, Kenneth Cummins, for his death
Mr Justice Tony Hunt described Sabrina Cummins as a murderer and a brazen hard nosed liar.
He said that at every juncture she tried to cover up the killing.
The court heard how she went to Mr Horan's bedsit with her younger brother Kenneth looking for money in the early hours of 6 January 2014.
He was severely beaten, had a rope placed around his neck, a bag placed over his head and they also tried to poison him with cleaning fluids.
In her victim impact statement, Mr Horan's ex-wife Marge said they remained close after their separation, and she feels she would not be in a nursing home if he were still alive.
In another victim impact statement to the court, Mr Horan's brother-in-law Jim Muldoon described the 63-year-old as a loving man, loyal and trusting.
Although separated from his sister Marge, he was very good to her and had looked after her following a mild stroke.
Handing down sentencing, Mr Justice Hunt said this was a difficult and distressing case with a number of upsetting features.
He said Mr Horan did not die an easy death and there is no comfort to be had in that.
He said there was cold and limited satisfaction for families in cases like these, but he hoped some light had been shone on the death of their relative and his reputation had been fully restored.
Kenneth Cummins was also due to be sentenced.
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to murder last week, but today the court heard that he wanted to vacate his guilty plea, claiming he was not in a fit state when he made it.
His application will be heard next month.
