Megan Haines, 49, was found to have murdered Marie Darragh, 82, and Isabella Spencer, 77, in May 2014 at Ballina’s St Andrews Village, after learning they had made complaints about her.

In the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, Justice Peter Garling described the murders as “particularly serious”, noting the vulnerability of the victims and the registered nurse’s significant breach of trust.

Haines had previously been suspended after complaints about her in Victoria and had only recently started work at Ballina while she was subject to reporting conditions.

The judge said Ms Darragh had complained about Haines refusing to give her a cream to soothe an itch, while Ms Spencer said she had refused to help her reach the toilet.

Hours after learning of the complaints, Haines went into the medication room between midnight and 1am, removed two syringes, drew up two injections of insulin, and administered them to the women, probably as they slept.

In jailing her for a maximum of 36 years, the judge described her offences as “deliberate and calculating”, and a flagrant abuse of her power. Outside court, Ms Spencer’s brother Donald said he was “over the moon” about the sentence.

“I knew I would lose my sister sooner or later, but not in those circumstances,” he said.

KEY DETAILS ABOUT THE MEGAN HAINES MURDER CASE

WHO

* Megan Jean Haines, 49, South African-born nurse and mother of two, who was employed at St Andrews Village aged-care home in Ballina, northern NSW

CHARGES

* Murdering Marie Darragh, 82, and Isobella Spencer, 77, in May 2014

* Accused of giving them fatal doses of insulin and trying to give Marjorie Patterson, 88 unscheduled medication but she woke up

TRIAL

* The prosecution said the previously suspended nurse injected the insulin when working alone for an hour on the night the victims overdosed — knowing it couldn’t be detected in the women’s bodies — to save her career after they made complaints about her

* Under cross-examination, Haines denied injecting anyone with insulin and her lawyer argued she was not the only person with access to insulin

VERDICT

* The Supreme Court jury took four hours of deliberation to find Haines guilty on November 3

SENTENCE

* Justice Peter Garling on Friday jailed her for 36 years with a non-parole period of 27, describing her offences as “deliberate and calculating”, and “a flagrant abuse of her power”

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