Dublin woman extradited from South Africa to stand trial for murder of two friends

Paul Neilan

A Dublin woman extradited from South Africa will go on trial next year charged with the double murder of two "inseparable" friends whose bodies were found wrapped in plastic on a lake island nearly 10 years ago.

Ruth Lawrence (42), who is originally from Clontarf, is accused of the murder of Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O'Connor (32), who were found in plastic sheeting on Inchicup Island on Lough Sheelin, which straddles the Meath-Cavan border, on May 26th, 2014.

On Tuesday at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice David Keane scheduled a trial date of October 7th, 2024, after hearing the matter is expected to last three weeks.

Mr Justice Keane then adjourned the matter to January 12th, 2024, for a case-management update.

On May 25th, Ms Lawrence appeared before Trim District Court after her extradition from Bloemfontein where she was being held.

Detective Garda Raymond Flynn told the court that he arrested Ms Lawrence at Dublin Airport earlier that day. Ms Lawrence was taken to Trim Garda Station where she was charged by Det Garda Flynn with two counts of murder on an unknown date between April 22nd and May 26th, 2014, when gardaí were alerted to the discovery of the men's bodies.

The bodies were found after a fisherman on the lake identified a smell coming from the tiny island.

Mr O’Connor and Mr Keegan went missing after Eoin borrowed his mother’s car to travel to Ballyjamesduff in Co Cavan.

When he failed to return home from the trip, his ­family raised the alarm, leading to appeals for information and searches of areas in Co Cavan by the families and friends of both men.

At their June 2014 funeral, mourners were told that the two men had been "inseparable" friends.

The alleged former partner of Ms Lawrence, South African national Neville van der Westhuizen (41), is also facing extradition to Ireland over the murders. However, he is currently serving a 15-year sentence in South Africa for a separate offence.

Last month, van der Westhuizen told his extradition hearing in Durban that he feared he would be executed if he were to be surrendered and imprisoned in Ireland.