A man who sexually assaulted and strangled an elderly nun in the grounds of a convent in Co Monaghan when he was 19-years-old was today jailed for life for the murder.
Kealen Herron, now 21, of Derry, Lattin, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan today(mon) pleaded guilty to the murder of Sr Philomena Lyons (68) in the grounds of the Sacred Heart Convent, Ballybay, Co Monaghan, on December 15th 2001.
In the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Carney sentenced Herron to the mandatory term of life imprisonment after hearing the background to the killing.
The nun's family and her religious order said in a statement afterwards that Sr Philomena "would have forgiven Kealen Herron for this awful crime".
"We also forgive him", the statement said. It was read to the media by the Provincial Leader of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Sr Brigid Browne. She said the family and congregation of nuns were devastated by the circumstances of what they described as her "dreadful and unnecessary death".