Brian Hennessy was jailed for life after he pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday to the murders of Sharon Whelan and her two daughters, Zara (7) and Nadia (2), in Roscon, Co. Kilkenny on Christmas Day last year. The 23-year-old postal worker from Windgap, Co. Kilkenny changed his original plea at the start of his trial.

Justice Barry White ordered that the Hennessy must serve concurrently the two life sentences imposed for the deaths of Ms Whelan's children, after he has served the life sentence for killing their mother. It is expected that this provision will ensure that he spends 30 years in prison.

The bodies of Sharon, Zara and Nadia were found by neighbours after fire engulfed the house; Ms Whelan had been strangled and was naked from the waist down, and the two children had died from smoke inhalation. Hennessy, who barely knew Ms Whelan, was arrested after gardaí took DNA samples from 300 men living in the area. He had been on a ten-hour drinking binge before arriving at his victims’ door.

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