A divorcee has been found guilty of plotting to murder her multi-millionaire partner after she hired an "assassin" on a website called www.Hitman.us.com. Sharon Collins, 45, a divorced mother-of-two, is said to have hatched a conspiracy with a man from the site, an Egyptian poker player who called himself Tony Luciano, to murder PJ Howard, a property tycoon worth £10 million and his two sons.But the hitman, real name Essam Eid, tried to hatch a separate deal with Howard and his sons, telling them they had a contract out on their heads and demanding £70,000 to terminate it. The move led to the Howards reporting the incident to the police and the bizarre plot unravelling.
Yesterday Collins was found guilty of conspiring to hire a hitman at Dublin central Criminal Court and Eid of demanding money. The court heard that Collins, who has been seeing Howard for five years, came up with the plan after the tycoon, who she said frequented prostitutes and swingers clubs, made unreasonable demands on her including that she become involved in "stranger sex".
She suggested he should meet an accident but Eid suggested poisoning.
But the plot unravelled when Eid flew to Ireland in September 6 and burgled computers from the Howard family business and then offered them back for a reward. It was during these negotiations that he told them there was a contract on their heads and the police became involved. Collins and Eid were both arrested and the conspiracy uncovered.
Collins, who with Eid is due to be sentenced on Oct 8, told the court she was writing a book about the incident.