A postal worker has been sentenced to three life terms after pleading guilty to the murder of a woman and her two young children in Co Kilkenny last Christmas.
Brian Hennessy (23), from Windgap, Kilkenny, strangled Sharon Whelan (30) on December 24th or 25th, 2008 before setting her rented farmhouse on fire, killing her daughters Zsara (7) and Nadia (2).
Ms Whelan's body was found in the bedroom of her home at Roscon on Christmas Day beside the bodies of her two children. They were discovered by neighbours who spotted smoke coming from their rented farmhouse at about 8.45am.
DNA evidence linked Hennessy to the house of the family, with whom he had only a passing acquaintance.
Hennessy had initially denied murder. However, he entered guilty pleas to three counts of murder at the Central Criminal Court today.
Mr Justice Barry White imposed two consecutive and one concurrent life sentences for the murder. The State did not then proceed with three other charges on the indictment, including a charge of raping Ms Whelan.
Hennessy pleaded not guilty to rape yesterday.