FABRICATION and fantasy is how the US State prosecutor has responded to the self defence claims lodged by killers Molly and Thomas Martens in their appeal against their convictions for killing Limerickman Jason Corbett.
Last September, documents filed by the US lawyers defending the Martens stated that the father and daughter were appealing the conviction as Thomas Martens hit Jason with a baseball bat because he was allegedly choking Molly during the early hours of August 2, 2015.
Molly claimed that the US prosecutors did not provide any evidence during the trail to challenge her claims.
However, North Carolina’s Department of Justice said last week that sufficient evidence was presented in court to convict the pair of murdering Mr Corbett at his US home.
Molly and Thomas Martens were found guilty of second degree murder by a US jury in August last year.
Their trial heard how Jason was drugged, beaten with a bat and paving slab as he lay in bed. He was later found by paramedics with brutal head injuries after the Martens called 911.
However, the trial heard from prosecutors that the Martens pair delayed calling emergency services and faked performing CPR on Jason.
During the trial, expert witnesses testified as to blood patterns and the manner of the attack but they were unable to determine the number of blows suffered by Jason due to the nature and extent of the crush injures suffered to his skull.
Both Molly and Thomas Martens received prison sentences of between 20 and 25 years after a lengthy trial in the summer of 2017 but have since lodged appeals.
Molly Martens said she was not the aggressor and her father was protecting her. However, the State attorneys have strongly criticised theses claims .
“Together they created this fantasy to deceive the authorities and this jury in a fabricated story participated in by both defendants, acting in concert together to attain the ultimate result that they intended,” the documents state.
“The self-defence claim of both defendants fell on unreceptive ears because of the obvious use of excessive force, making that defence unavailable in law as well.”
The appeal is due to be heard next year by a panel of three judges.
Molly Martens had her jail term extended earlier this year after breaching prison rules and is now due to be released in April 2041.
