Courts / Laois / Report

"We have our angel back": Life in prison for man who strangled nanny and hid her body in a pit

Summary

In May 2014 a man from Portlaoise, Robert Corbet, aged 25, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 30‑year‑old nanny Aoife Phelan. Corbet pleaded not guilty but admitted to strangling Phelan in his garage between 25 October and 7 November 2012. He claimed he had doubts about her pregnancy, that she threatened him, and that these threats caused him to lose control. He strangled her, covered her head with a plastic bag, tied her neck with cable ties, and placed her body in a barrel. He later buried the barrel in a pit on his property. Gardaí found the body and Corbet was convicted of murder. The jury found no provocation and the State described his actions as deliberate and calculated. Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan imposed a mandatory life sentence. The Phelan family left the courthouse without comment.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "We have our angel back": Life in prison for man who strangled nanny and hid her body in a pit. Charges or matters: murdering the Ballyroan native in his garage. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• October 25th Hearing Or Sentence
• November 7th Hearing Or Sentence
• 2014-05-23 Publication

Why: Corbet testified that he had his doubts about the pregnancy because he had no medical proof. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report