‘We’ll be forever haunted by the unimaginable terror of Nicola’s final hours’
Victim impact statement from Nicola’s younger sister, and only sibling, Carly Collins.
MY sister Nic was a lovely, downto-earth person.
Since her death we have come to realise just how many lives she touched, and how many people thought the world of her.
So many have commented on her intelligence, said that she could have done just about anything she wanted.
Nic was very funny and made us all laugh easily about the most random of things.
She loved music, reading and was good at languages.
Nic also wrote frequently, finding it therapeutic to put pen to paper.
My sister was born a tiny baby at just 3lbs 12oz.
She was destined to be resilient and confronted many tough times in life. Nic was vulnerable.
Her on/off struggles with alcohol were an emotional rollercoaster, the downside of which left her feeling alone at times.
These issues, however, did not define her, did not change the fact that she was a vivacious, fun person who was dearly loved.
It did not mean that she was undeserving of dignity and respect.
Nic struggled with a very low self-esteem.
To think of her, a person so in need of love and kindness, being met with cold-hearted brutality is beyond heartbreaking.
It has been terribly distressing to hear of the devastating injuries she sustained.
The thought of the pain she must have suffered and the unimaginable terror she surely felt in her final hours will forever haunt us.
As a daughter, Nic brought kindness and love to both her parents.
She visited her mother Kay often in Tralee and would send flowers for Mother’s Day.
Kay says her heart is broken since Nic’s death, the loss has left a huge void in her life.
Nic is terribly missed by her sons, who were left shocked and despondent at the sudden loss of a mother and friend.
They were totally distraught at not being able to talk to her one last time, or to tell her how much she was loved.
Personally, I still have not been able to fathom that she has gone, that there is no Nic at the other end of the number stored on my phone. I have lost the sister I loved and admired, my only sibling and one of the people who understood me the best in the world.
Nic’s family and friends held high hopes for the bright future she deserved.
These hopes have been taken away and replaced by shock and inability to comprehend that we will not see her again.
The days since March 2017 have been filled with waiting.
Waiting to comprehend what happened, waiting for the answer we now know will never come.
Instead, we have been subjected to vilification of Nic’s character in an attempt to explain what happened on the night of March 26, 2017.
She was not the person portrayed in court.
This has added to the hurt and pain we already felt.
Vile allegations heard in recent days have left us feeling disturbed and embittered.
Nic was a sister, daughter, mother and friend.
The shock of losing her still feels like a bad dream: one that we wish we could wake up from. Her loss will be felt permanently, for the rest of our lives.
We wish to thank the legal team and gardaí, especially our family liaison officer Paul Hogan, for the hard work and unwavering compassion and kindness throughout this horrific ordeal.