Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4611Murder

Ruth Lawrence found guilty of 2014 double murder

Ruth Lawrence was found guilty by majority verdict at the Central Criminal Court of murdering Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan in 2014. The bodies of the two men were found buried on a lake island in the midlands eleven years later.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court10 Nov
    2 reports
  5. Convicted12 Nov
    2 reports
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
51 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatRuth Lawrence is accused of shooting a drug dealer and working with her boyfriend to murder him and another man. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe bodies of Anthony Keegan and Eoin O’Connor were found on a lake island in the midlands. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatRuth Lawrence was found guilty of murdering two men. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatRuth Lawrence was found guilty of murdering Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatLawrence shot Eoin O'Connor and worked with her boyfriend to murder him after luring him to their home. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe prosecution contended that Anthony Keegan was shot by van der Westhuizen. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe alleged murders took place at an unknown location within the State. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe bodies of the two men were found on a lake island in the midlands. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe bodies were found bound and buried in a shallow grave on a lake island. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe murders happened at an unknown location within the State. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe bodies of the two men were found bound and buried in a shallow grave on a lake island in the midlands. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereLawrence had asked about taking a boat out on Lough Sheelin the day before the men were last seen alive. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe alleged murders took place on a date between April 22nd, 2014, and May 26th, 2014. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe murders are alleged to have taken place on a date between April 22nd, 2014 and May 26th, 2014. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe murders happened on a date between 22 April 2014 and 26 May 2014. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenEoin O’Connor was lured to the home in 2014. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe murders are alleged to have taken place on a date between 22 April 2014 and 26 May 2014. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeThe prosecution contended that Anthony Keegan was shot by Neville van der Westhuizen. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeEoin O'Connor sold drugs to van der Westhuizen, who owed him about €70,000. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationTwo protected witnesses came forward to gardaí in 2014 and gave voluntary statements about the alleged involvement of Ms Lawrence and her boyfriend. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationLawrence did not give evidence and was never interviewed by gardaí. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe prosecution said a key witness's account of an alleged admission by Lawrence was corroborated by pathology evidence. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeMs Lawrence is accused of shooting a drug dealer and working as a unit with her boyfriend to murder him and another man. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMs Lawrence was extradited from South Africa to face trial in 2023. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury has been given the option of returning a majority verdict. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury has spent a total of eight hours and 21 minutes over three days deliberating. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe judge said he could accept a majority verdict on one or both counts if at least 10 jurors agreed. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury was asked to return to the Central Criminal Court on Thursday. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThere are three possible verdicts on each murder charge: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of assisting an offender, or not guilty. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury is due to return to the Central Criminal Court to consider its verdicts for a fifth day. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMs Lawrence was extradited from South Africa in 2023 to face trial. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury began considering its verdicts last Thursday and had deliberated for six hours and 50 minutes before the judge offered a majority verdict option. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury can return guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of assisting an offender, or not guilty on each murder charge. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury found Lawrence guilty of murdering Eoin O’Connor by a majority verdict of 11-1. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury deliberated for 14 hours. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury found Lawrence guilty of the murder of Anthony Keegan by a majority verdict of 10-2. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe judge remanded Lawrence in custody until 8 December. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury returned a majority verdict of 11-1 agreeing with the prosecution case on the murder of Eoin O'Connor. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe jury found by a majority of 10-2 that Lawrence and van der Westhuizen acted as a team in the murder of Anthony Keegan. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtLawrence pleaded not guilty to both murders and did not give evidence at trial. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceLawrence is to be sentenced to life imprisonment on 8 December. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMs Lawrence has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Keegan and Mr O’Connor. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMs Symes gave evidence that Ms Lawrence told her she had shot Mr O’Connor but it went wrong. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe State contends that Mr van der Westhuizen also shot Mr Keegan while acting as a team with Ms Lawrence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe defence said the key witnesses painted themselves as innocents abroad and could not be trusted to convict Ms Lawrence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe jury found Lawrence worked as a unit with her boyfriend to murder Eoin O’Connor. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherLawrence fled to South Africa after the murders and was extradited back to Ireland in May 2023. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • otherNeville van der Westhuizen is serving a 15-year sentence in Durban in a separate case. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherLawrence was never interviewed by gardaí. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherVan der Westhuizen is serving a 15-year sentence in Durban for murder, attempted murder and kidnapping in a separate case. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherAn application to return van der Westhuizen to Ireland to face trial will be made after he finishes his sentence in South Africa. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 12 Nov2025
    Convictedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Ruth Lawrence found guilty of 2014 double murder

    Reports the jury verdicts of 11-1 on the O'Connor murder and 10-2 on the Keegan murder, the evidence and the defendant's flight and extradition. Co-accused Neville van der Westhuizen is serving a sentence in South Africa and will be brought back to face trial later.

    convicted, Ruth Lawrence, 46, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ruth Lawrencevictim, Eoin O'Connor, 32, male, irish (judged from name)Eoin O'Connorvictim, Anthony Keegan, 33, male, irish (judged from name)Anthony Keegansuspect, Neville van der Westhuizen, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Neville van der Westhuizen
  2. 12 Nov2025
    Convictedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Ruth Lawrence found guilty of murdering two men whose bodies were found on lake island

    Reports the jury verdicts at the Central Criminal Court, the remand until 8 December for sentencing, and that the other alleged participant, Neville van der Westhuizen, is serving a sentence in South Africa with an extradition application to follow.

    convicted, Ruth Lawrence, 46, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ruth Lawrencevictim, Eoin O'Connor, 32, male, irish (judged from name)Eoin O'Connorvictim, Anthony Keegan, 33, male, irish (judged from name)Anthony Keegansuspect, Neville van der Westhuizen, male, namedNeville van der Westhuizen
  3. 11 Nov2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Ruth Lawrence trial: Jury will return on Wednesday to consider verdicts for fifth day

    Trial report on the fifth day of jury deliberations in the Ruth Lawrence murder trial, including the closing addresses, the State and defence positions, and the judge's directions on verdict options.

    accused, Ruth Lawrence, 46, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ruth Lawrencevictim, Anthony Keegan, 33, male, irish (judged from name)Anthony Keeganvictim, Eoin O'Connor, 32, male, irish (judged from name)Eoin O'Connorsuspect, Neville van der Westhuizen, male, namedNeville van der Westhuizen
  4. 10 Nov2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Jury in Ruth Lawrence double murder trial given option of returning majority verdict

    Reports that the jury has been given the option of a majority verdict, that it has deliberated for 8 hours and 21 minutes over three days, and that it was asked to return on Thursday without reaching a verdict.

    accused, Ruth Lawrence, 46, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ruth Lawrencevictim, Anthony Keegan, 33, male, irish (judged from name)Anthony Keeganvictim, Eoin O'Connor, 32, male, irish (judged from name)Eoin O'Connor