The American wife and father-of-law of a Limerick man beaten to death in his US home have been given additional jail time after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
Molly Martens (40) and her father Thomas (73) were sentenced in a North Carolina court to between seven and 30 additional months over the death of James Corbett.
The 39-year-old businessman, who was from Limerick but lived in Lexington, North Carolina, was killed in 2015.
Martens and her former FBI agent father were convicted of second-degree murder in 2017 and sentenced to 20 and 25 years respectively.
But their convictions were quashed by an appeal court in 2020 and a new trial ordered.
Previous court hearings heard Mr Corbett sustained extreme injuries, after being beaten with a brick and a baseball bat.
The pair never denied killing him, but claimed they acted in self-defence.
Read more:
- Molly and Tom Martens: Eight-year saga over beating to death of Irishman Jason Corbett ends
- US wife and father-in-law of Limerick man admit manslaughter over 2015 killing
After agreeing to plea deals to manslaughter charges in relation to his killing, the pair were sentenced on Wednesday.
Ahead of the hearing, the court heard victim impact statements from Mr Corbett's children, Jack and Sarah, who now live with their aunt in the Republic.
They told the court of how they had been taught to "lie and manipulate people" by Molly Martens, describing her as a "monster" with a "mask of civility".
Judge David Hall sentenced both defendants to prison time of 51 to 74 months.
Taking into account time already served of 44 months, they will serve extra time of between seven and 30 months.
A lawyer for Thomas Martens said he expected his client to be released in seven months.
In a statement released following the sentencing, Mr Corbett's family said it was "not a moment for celebration".
Posted on their Facebook page, Jason’s Journey, they also said they hope to find a path to move forward with their lives.
"Jack and Sarah have at last had the chance to communicate unencumbered and without hindrances," it said.
"While we may not be satisfied with the sentencing, we would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work exhibited by the Davidson County Sheriff department and the District Attorney's office throughout the past eight years.
“We are deeply grateful for the support we have received from the people of North Carolina and Ireland, and we kindly ask for privacy as our family moves forward, with the comforting knowledge that Jason will forever hold a place in our hearts and memories."
