Woman Found Guilty Of Killing Mother-Of-Four In Alleged Custody Plot

An Australian woman has been found guilty of the 2016 killing a mother-of-four in an alleged plot to gain custody of her children.

A jury in Victoria, Australia, convicted Christine Lyons on Thursday of murder and attempted murder of Samantha Kelly, who was fatally struck in the head with a hammer in January 2016 near her home in Bendigo, Australia, the Australian Associated Press reported. Her body was discovered south-west of Bendigo the following month.

Lyons' former partner, Peter Arthur, pleaded guilty to fatally striking Kelly multiple times in the head with a hammer, killing her. He received a 16-year jail sentence last year, according to ABC News. Lyons' co-accused cousin-in-law Ronald Lyons was cleared of murder charges but was convicted of attempted murder and assisting an offender. Both Christine and Ronald will be sentenced at a later date.

Kelly, 39, was living in a bungalow where Lyons and Arthur also resided along with Ronald's three children. Prosecutors argued that Christine and Ronald plotted with Arthur over several weeks to kill Kelly so Christine, who couldn’t birth children, could claim custody of Kelly’s kids, aged 11 months to six years.

Christine and Ronald allegedly tried to kill Kelly via overdose by placing pills in her drink. However, when they saw she was still alive the next day, Arthur carried out the attack. Prosecutors alleged that Ronald also bought two shovels and went with Arthur to bury the body.

Kelly's aunt, Tracey Lubcke, after the verdict outside the court, said she felt "the utmost relief" after the jury handed down the guilty verdict.

"She was a good mum…and she was on her own and you had these brutal people, they swamped her. The evilness…these people aren't nice people," Lubcke said.