Woman (45) accused of murdering two men asked about taking boat out where bodies were found

Alison O’Riordan

A woman who is accused of murdering two men asked about taking a boat out on Lough Sheelin - where the deceased's bodies were eventually found - the day before the men were last seen alive, a witness has told the Central Criminal Court.

The trial also heard on Friday that the accused Ruth Lawrence later borrowed an electric engine from her landlord, having told him that her boyfriend, South African national Neville van der Westhuizen, had a bad back and "wouldn't be able for much rowing".

Ms Lawrence (45), who is originally from Clontarf in Dublin but with an address at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent in Co Meath has pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O'Connor (32) at an unknown location within the State on a date between April 22nd 2014 and May 26, 2014, both dates inclusive.

Auctioneer Geraldine O'Reilly told Michael O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, she received instructions from the owner of Patricks Cottage in December 2013 to put the property on the rental market.

Ms O'Reilly said the accused Ms Lawrence signed a lease and the tenancy commenced on December 19th 2013.

Declan McCabe said he is the owner and landlord of Patricks Cottage, which is on the shore of Lough Sheelin in Co Cavan. Mr McCabe, who is a boat builder, said he had picked up rent from his tenant Ms Lawrence on April 21st 2014 when she inquired about going out on the lake as the weather was good.

"She wanted to know where she would get a boat. I told her where the boat was at the back of Sheelin Cottage on the lake. She was inquiring about something with a cabin and I said all I had was a lakeboat," said Mr McCabe.

The witness said he told Ms Lawrence that another person living on the lake might have a cabin boat. "Maybe she wanted some shelter but no reason was given," he added.

Mr McCabe said he told the accused he had oars but she had inquired about an engine. He said he could get a lend of an electric engine for her.

The witness went on to say he had suggested a boat with oars but the accused told him that her boyfriend Mr van der Westhuizen had a bad back and wouldn't be able for much rowing.

Mr McCabe said Ms Lawrence and her boyfriend Neville arrived in a van to pick up the engine two days later on April 23. He said Neville had got out of the vehicle and gestured "oh my back".

The witness said he showed them how to clip the engine and told them to bring it back when they were finished with it as it didn't belong to him.

Neville put the engine into the back of the van. He said there was no panic and everything was calm and relaxed.

Around noon the next day, he said the couple returned the engine and Ms Lawrence told him: "we didn't really go out so thanks anyways".

Mr McCabe agreed that he subsequently checked the state of the engine's battery and it was green. He said this meant there was very little battery used, if any at all.

When Mr McCabe accompanied gardai to Patricks Cottage on April 29 he saw it had been abandoned and there was no sign of life. The house was untidy and the couple's three dogs were gone, he told the court.

The prosecutor said in his opening address that the last contact on Mr O'Connor and Mr Keegan's mobile phones was on the night of April 22, 2014 and a missing persons investigation began that week as Mr O'Connor's family became very concerned about the two men.

Earlier, Anthony Roche, whose sister was the partner of Eoin O'Connor, said Mr O'Connor called to his house in Bailieborough in Co Cavan on April 21 2014. Mr Roche said Mr O'Connor told him he was going to Cavan to "collect a few quid" from "a black fella" and "another fella whose daughter had a red Nissan Micra".

Asked by the prosecutor why he was looking for money, the witness said "someone" owed Mr O'Connor money for cannabis.

In his opening address, Mr O'Higgins, told the jury that the State would argue that Ms Lawrence shot drug dealer Mr O'Connor and worked "as a unit" with her boyfriend to kill him and another man, with their bodies later found "bound in rope, tape and covered in tarpaulin" by fishermen on Inchicup Island on May 26th 2014.

Counsel for the State said the 12 jurors would hear evidence that the accused woman shot one of the two men but this was not immediately fatal and was "quickly followed up" by a shot from the defendant's boyfriend, Mr van der Westhuizen.

The 12 jurors were also told by Mr O'Higgins it is the prosecution case that the accused woman and her boyfriend had "spoken openly" about "the murders and disposing of the bodies".

The trial continues on Tuesday before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of four men and eight women.