JURY FINDS ASHFORD MAN GUILTY AFTER DELIBERATING FOR MORE THAN SEVEN HOURS
ANNE Shortall’s family should have been celebrating her birthday last Wednesday, instead they put flowers on her grave, her son told the Central Criminal Court on Friday afternoon.
Roy Webster (40) of Ashbree, Ashford, had earlier been found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict of the murder of Anne Shortall (47) at The Murrough near Wicklow town on April 3, 2015. Justice Patrick McCarthy sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Webster beat Anne Shortall to death with a hammer when she threatened to tell his wife about a one-night-stand they had the previous Christmas.
Before sentencing Justice McCarthy heard brief statements by each of Anne’s children, Alanna, Emma and David.
In a written statement read to the court by Alanna, David said: ‘On Wednesday I should have been embracing my mother with open arms and saying “happy birthday”. Instead I put flowers on her grave.’
Emma said she had lost her mam, best friend and confidante. She added: ‘ There is a void in my life that can never be filled.’ Alanna said the person she relied on most was taken away ‘suddenly and violently’.
‘My mother was not meant to die, her life was taken from her. She will never get to see her grandchildren grow up,’ she said.
Anne’s siblings and close family penned a joint statement revealing Anne’s brother James became so depressed by what had happened that he took his own life seven weeks after her brutal murder. ‘Our family will never be the same,’ they said.
Webster’s barrister Brendan Grehan SC then stood up to tell the court that his client wanted to say sorry to all who had been affected, especially the children of Anne Shortall and his own family. He added that while he ‘ bitterly regrets’ what happened, ‘it was never his intention to injure her, much less kill her.’
Webster, who shook his head in disbelief when the verdict was revealed earlier in the day, wept before the judge asked him to stand while he passed sentence.
Justice McCarthy said: ‘As a matter of law there is one penalty only and I imprison you to life.’
As prison officers brought him from court one final time he mouthed ‘sorry’ in the direction of Ms Shortall’s family. His sentence was backdated to April 7, 2015 when he first went into custody.
During the trial, the jury heard that Roy Webster met Anne Shortall at The Forge pub in Wicklow town during a Christmas night out on December 20, 2014. He was drunk and they flirted. ‘I fancy you,’ he said. ‘I fancy you,’ she replied and they kissed. According to statements Webster made to gardaí he went back to her house, they had sex and he fell asleep. He was awoken about 7 a.m. when his best friend called to say his wife Sinead was looking for him.
He went home and lied to Sinead, who was pregnant with their second child, that he had slept on a friend’s couch. He told gardaí he thought that was the end of it and that he would get on with his life.
Webster was a cabinet maker and was described by witnesses as a ‘ happy go lucky’ man and a talented and hard worker. He had his own business, Ashwood Kitchens, and his van, with that name painted on the side and his own name on the front and back, was well known around the town.
The court heard that at that time in late 2014 and early 2015 Anne Shortall, a separated mother of three grown up children, was having money problems. She had not worked for about ten years and her rent allowance had been cut in mid-2014. Her husband, who had previously given her money to help with the upbringing of their three children, had started giving the money directly to their chchildren. At the time of her death, Anne Shortalla owed more than €2,000 in bills and €1,800 in rent arrears. In March, she had been seserved an eviction notitice telling her to be ouout by April 9.
She came up with a plplan to get Roy Webster to give her money. She trtried contacting him vivia a mutual friend on Facebook. She did GGoogle searches for ‘AsAshwood Kitchens’ and by late March she had boboth his mobile and lalandline numbers. A heheavy drinker and a ‘nnight owl’ according to her daughters Emma anand Alanna, she would calcall Webster in the early hours,ho between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. She also texted him. In one of those texts she said: ‘I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I’m pregnant.’
Having gotten Webster’s attention, the pair exchanged texts and calls and arranged to meet on April 2. Webster called to her home on South Quay in Wicklow town but didn’t go inside. She said she needed Stg£6,500 for an abortion. He told her he wanted proof she was pregnant and they agreed to meet the following day, Good Friday. Anne texted her letting agent, Mary Broe, saying she had the rent arrears and six months’ rent in advance.
On the afternoon of Good Friday Webster texted Anne: ‘meet at the Leitrim,’ meaning the Leitrim Lounge. She replied ‘On my way’ and left her house without her phone or cigarettes. Her daughters would later find that text exchange on her phone and use it to finger Webster as the last person to see their mother.
Webster picked Anne up and drove to The Murrough.
He told gardaí that he asked her for proof of her pregnancy and she said she didn’t have to prove it but she wanted the money. When he told her he didn’t have the money he said she became angry and threatened to tell his wife about the night they spent together. She opened her door and he got out of the van and ran around to her side. He told gardaí that he wanted to reason with her and begged her not to ruin his life but she kept threatening him. He said he felt he was against