He was 'Travolta', she was town's prettiest girl

To the outside world, from the summer's day they were married, in 1990, Mr and Mrs Forsey were living the dream.

But an affair and money worries were to take their toll on the couple, and the relationship unravelled amid much acrimony.

The details surrounding the breakdown of their relationship got a very public airing at Waterford Circuit Court during her ex-husband's corruption trial.

She was furious and hurt when she discovered that her husband was having an affair with another woman. Fred found black sacks at the front door.

He pleaded with his wife, telling her and the children it was "over", but he continued his "new life" with Karen Morrissey.

Jenny was in turmoil. She ended up under the care of a doctor after the split.

She was so upset one day that she crashed her car into the wall of her ex-husband's rented house. She said she hadn't realise the car was in reverse but she agreed -- "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

She could never have have foreseen what the future would hold when she met Fred Forsey, when the pair were still teenagers, attending secondary school in Dungarvan.

She was known as one of the "best-looking girls in town" while Fred compared himself to John Travolta.

Soon after the wedding, their daughter came along, and then two sons, one of whom has special needs.

Fred's oldest child, his daughter Amy, idolised her father and wept in the public gallery as she watched her mother give evidence last week.

Jenny Forsey was struggling to feed her children when Fred Forsey took €60,000 from a developer.

She said her husband told her the developer had given him €30,000 to do some work for him.

Fred brought Jenny and the children on a no-expenses spared trip to Rome on the day the first payment was lodged.