An infertile woman who planned the murder of a Bendigo mother to take custody of her children maintains she is innocent of the killing.
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Christine Lyons, 47 and formerly of Ballarat, was found guilty by a Supreme Court of Victoria jury in June of murdering 39-year-old Samantha Kelly, as part of a plan with her lover Peter Arthur.
Arthur is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence after he fatally struck the disability pensioner and mother-of-four to the head repeatedly with a hammer.
Christine Lyons was also found guilty of attempted murder over a failed attempt to kill her days earlier with a cocktail of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Her former lover Ronald Lyons, who is not related to her, was cleared of murder by the jury but convicted of attempted murder.
Ronald, 46, was also found guilty of assisting an offender after buying two shovels and helping Arthur bury the body in a dry creek bed.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Victoria was told in a pre-sentencing plea hearing that Christine had an intellectual disability, was "never able to escape poverty and disadvantage", and lived in a tent in a forest at one point with Ronald and his three sons.
Her defence barrister Peter Kilduff said Christine maintained her innocence and was currently in protective custody at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre women's prison, where she spent her days untangling aeroplane headsets.
Christine had a hysterectomy in 2014 after suffering cancer and reportedly had a "powerful desire" to have a family.
Ronald's defence barrister Jarrod Williams argued his client's role "was somehow less involved".
But Justice Stephen Kaye described his conduct, including crushing pills into a drink as part of an attempt to murder Ms Kelly, as "absolutely deplorable" and "extremely heartless".
"The whole motive - it's evil, it's bizarre," he said.
"There's not even any relationship with Christine and yet he chose to join in."
The pair will be sentenced at a date to be determined.
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