Closing arguments have begun in the Ennis conspiracy to murder trial.
After seven weeks of hearings, prosecuting counsel Una Ní Raifeartaigh told the jury it had been a long, extraordinary and bizarre trial.
Sharon Collins of Kildysart Road, Ennis, and Essam Eid, a Las Vegas poker dealer, deny conspiring to murder PJ Howard and his two sons Robert and Niall in August 2006.
Ms Ní Raifeartaigh told the jury the case had been extreme in many ways and at times sounded like the plot of a film or a cheap thriller.
She said there was nothing trivial about this case and while no one was killed, it was no thanks to Sharon Collins.
She said Ms Collins had signed off on a deal to have the Howard family killed because they were in the way of her greed.
She said the most deadly poison known to man, Ricin, had been brought into the country to carry out the murders, taking it out of the realm of speculation and fantasy.
However, counsel for the defence, Michael Bowman, said the prosecution's case was based on conjecture and speculation.
He said a key proseuction witness, Teresa Engle, was a convicted fraudster and had lied in the witness box.
He said there were crucial facts unexplained by the prosecution such a seven minute phone call from Essam Eid's number to the Downes and Howard office in Ennis when Sharon Collins was out of the country.
Earlier, a witness at the trial received an apology from the prosecution.
The move came after it emerged that John Keating, a Limerick builder, was telling the truth about travelling to England in August 2006.
Mr Keating had previously told the trial he was with Sharon Collins discussing building projects for several hours on 16 August 2006. Mr Keating said he remembered the dates because he had recently returned from England.
The prosecution had said that the ferry company, Stena, could find no record of him travelling and Mr Keating was accused by the prosecution of 'making up' diary entries for the day he said he was with Ms Collins.
Mr Keating told the court this morning he made further extensive efforts to secure records from Stena Line but had not yet received them.
However the prosecution had received a copy of a letter sent to Mr Keating confirming his travel dates. Mr Keating's phone records also indicated he was in the UK on the same dates.
Prosecuting counsel Tom O'Connell apologised to Mr Keating and said he had been misinformed by the ferry company.
