Editing Megan Haines (section)

==Trial and evidence==
Haines was tried before Justice Peter Garling at the New South Wales Supreme Court in Lismore.<ref name=ABCsentence/><ref name=SCDLismore/> She was represented at trial by Troy Edwards, with prosecutor Brendan Campbell representing the crown.<ref name=GrannyKiller/>

According to Detective Superintendent Michael Willing, a Homicide Squad member, Haines was immediately suspected: "We had a good idea of what occurred and were waiting for further forensic accounts."<ref name=SMHallegedly/>

Intercepted telephone calls formed a significant part of the evidence. In one call, dated May 16, 2014, Haines spoke of the previous days' police visit to a friend and said "They [the police] said on Saturday there was medication given to some patient or whatever. Apparently the patients were actually given wrong medication." At this point nobody had told Haines the victims were poisoned.<ref name=SMHknew/><!--This paragraph is from that one source, same for next paragraph--> Another intercepted call showed Haines saying she wanted to permanently leave the country.<ref name=ABCbail/>

On May 13th, 2014 Haines called an employment agency to discuss the meeting she had been due to attend to discuss the complaints. She asked for somebody from the agency to accompany her, saying she was at "one of these meetings before" and that "Before you know it the nurses board knows there has been a complaint about you." She said the complaints were "probably minor" and she was unsure "if I should resign from this place or see if I can make it work or whatever."<ref name=SMHknew/>

The court heard of an alleged conversation with a former partner<ref name=ABCsentence/> whilst watching a CSI-type show in 2009.<ref name=SMHjailed/> She was said to have claimed it was "easy" to kill somebody and get away with it: "Inject them with insulin because the body continues to metabolise insulin so it looks like natural causes."<ref name=SMHjailed/> She claimed in court not to remember this but confirmed she did watch such shows and comment on them using her nursing expertise.<ref name=ABCsentence/>

Wendy Turner told the court details of the complaints against Haines.<ref name=ABCsentence/> Haines had unfettered access to locked medication stores and insulin prescribed to another patient was found missing.<ref name=ABCbail/> The victims had been in apparently good health prior to their deaths.<ref name=ABCbail/> However, both had advanced care directives in place indicating they were not to be resuscitated.<ref name=SCDLismore/>

Haines admitted in the witness box being in Darragh's room the night she died, saying noises were heard coming from the room and she attended with a colleague.<ref name=ABCGuilty>[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-03/nurse-guilty-of-murdering-two-patients-nursing-home-ballina/7987084 Ballina nursing home deaths: Megan Haines guilty of murdering two patients with fatal insulin dose], ABC, November 2016</ref> She told the court she "did not inject anyone".<ref name=GuardianGuilty>[https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/nov/03/former-nurse-found-guilty-of-2014-of-two-women-in-ballina-retirement-village Former nurse found guilty of 2014 murder of two women in Ballina retirement village] - The Guardian, November 2016.</ref> She claimed she was able to make the assumption the deaths related to medication mistakes from the terms of the search warrant, which listed drugs the police were looking for in her home including temazepam, oxazepam, panadeine forte and diazepam.<ref>[https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/complaints-against-accused-nurse-were-worst-nightm/3106471/ Complaints against accused nurse were 'worst nightmare'] - Sunshine Coast Daily, October 2016</ref>

Campbell said the evidence showed an attempt to "eliminate the cause" of complaints that jeapordised her reinstated, restricted nursing licence but Edwards claimed had this been the case Patterson would also be dead and pointed out other staff had access to insulin.<ref name=GuardianGuilty/> Campbell however said only Haines had access at the time.<ref name=NewHerald>[https://www.theherald.com.au/story/4224868/nsw-nurse-megan-jean-haines-the-centre-of-misconduct-investigations-before-allegedly-killing-two-residents/?cs=12 NSW nurse Megan Jean Haines the centre of misconduct investigations before allegedly killing two residents ] by Ava Benny-Morrison republished in ''The Newcastle Herald'' following an initial publication in ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', October 2016</ref> The court heard evidence she was subject to complaints in Victoria<ref name=NewHerald/> but did not hear of the previous suspicion of poisoning and robbery.<ref name=SMHHistory/>

Haines was convicted on November 3rd, 2016 after just four hours of jury deliberations.<ref name=ABCGuilty/> She appeared emotionless during the verdict,<ref name=GuardianGuilty/> and then sat impassively in court while grieving families read victim impact statements.<ref name=GrannyKiller/>

Campbell sought a life sentence, citing the vulnerability of the deceased and the "extreme" culpability of Haines; Edwards contended this was not necessary as the planning was only "rudimentary".<ref name=GrannyKiller/> Sentencing was delayed until December 7, 2016 after Edwards requested a psychiatric report.<ref name=ABCGuilty/> She was sentenced to 36 years in prison with parole becoming possible in 2041, by which time she will have served 27 years.<ref name=ABCsentence/>