Galway woman Karen Walsh has been found guilty of the murder of Maire Rankin (81) by a jury at Belfast Crown Court.
The jury reached its unanimous verdict after just under two hours of deliberations. Walsh (45) was jailed for life.
Mrs Rankin was found bludgeoned to death and possibly sexually assaulted in her home in Newry on Christmas morning 2008. It is believed she was murdered either late on Christmas Eve or some time on Christmas morning.
The trial heard how one of the murder weapons may have been a crucifix.
Walsh, who is originally from Galway but runs a pharmacist's business on George’s Street in Dublin, denied the charge of murder.
The prosecution and defence lawyers made their closing submissions yesterday. Liam McCollum QC, prosecuting, accused Walsh of uttering a “tissue of lies” in relation to the murder of the pensioner while barrister Peter Irvine, defending, said his client was a “woman of good character”.
Mr Justice Hart began his summing up for the jury yesterday evening and concluded today before the jury retired to consider its verdict.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Hart told Walsh that the law permits only one sentence for murder that of life imprisonment.
As Walsh shook her head, the judge told her: "Whatever happened on that night, this was a brutal attack on an elderly and defenceless woman. She was completely defenceless."
Mr Justice Hart told her that after pre-sentence probation reports had been completed, he would fix the minimum tariff she must serve in jail before even being considered for release.
As Walsh was lead to the cells, she turned and told the judge: "I'm completely innocent."
During the trial, Walsh said she could “not have been any nicer to Mrs Rankin”. She and her husband have a second home in Newry, which is next to the home of Mrs Rankin.
Ms Rankin was found in her Dublin Road home by a relative.
Walsh admitted being in the house but claimed she went earlier in the evening of Christmas Eve to take Ms Rankin a present and when she left, her neighbour was alive.
A detective told the trial she spoke to Walsh on Christmas morning when she discovered she had been with the victim the previous evening. She said Walsh asked whether Ms Rankin had been beaten and whether the door of her house had been open.
Another police officer told the court that when she was arrested on December 27th 2008, the accused had replied: "I can't believe this. It is bizarre."
The court heard that Walsh visited the victim to give her a bottle of vodka. Items recovered at the scene included an almost empty litre bottle of vodka. It was tested for DNA and produced a mixed profile, but the major contributor was the accused.
A DNA expert also told the murder trial that the chances of DNA on the victim's chin coming from someone other than the killer was one in a billion. DNA which could have come from the accused was also found on the pensioner's breasts and on the bottom of the crucifix.
According to Northern Ireland's state pathologist, Ms Rankin had bruising on her chin consistent with a crown of thorns, like that on Jesus' head.
Professor Jack Crane said considerable force had been used to cause extensive bruising to the face and scalp and that Ms Rankin had been subjected to a series of punches or blows with a blunt instrument.
The pensioner also suffered 15 broken ribs, which Prof Crane said may have been caused after death. He gave evidence of other internal bruising and bleeding which he said indicated some form of sexual assault.
Ms Rankin, eldest daughter of the victim, said her mother was a kind and caring person who spent her life helping people.
"She was savagely and persistently beaten with a crucifix, clumps of hair were violently pulled out by the roots, she was left with head injuries and broken ribs before being subjected to the ultimate defilement of her body," she said.