Ireland Crime

Reports the sentencing to two life sentences, victim impact statements from the Keegan and O'Connor families, and key trial details including the joint enterprise finding and the role of co-accused Neville van der Westhuizen.

Reports the sentencing to two concurrent life sentences backdated to October 2022, includes victim impact statements from the Keegan and O'Connor families, and details the trial evidence including the role of protected witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes.

Detailed retrospective feature covering the full narrative of the 2014 trial, including the victims' last contacts, the State-protected witnesses' testimony about the shooting, the pathologist's findings, and the sentencing to two life sentences.

Reports the sentencing of Ruth Lawrence to two concurrent life terms, including victim-impact statements from the Keegan and O'Connor families, details of the jury's findings, and the status of co-accused Neville van der Westhuizen in South Africa.

Reports the sentencing of Ruth Lawrence on 8 December 2025, with victim impact statements and the court's remarks. It adds the jury verdict of 12 November, the backdating of the sentences to 4 October 2022, and details of the trial and of van der Westhuizen's status.

Reports the sentencing of Ruth Lawrence to life for the murders of Anthony Keegan and Eoin O'Connor. Adds victim impact statements, details of the shootings and the drug-related background, the extradition status of Neville van der Westhuizen, and that Lawrence was extradited and charged in May 2023.

Reports the verdict finding Ruth Lawrence guilty of double murder. The body text is empty template code, so no victims, dates or locations are stated.

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.

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.

Adds the jury verdicts (10:2 and 11:1), the sentencing date of 8 December, evidence from witnesses Jason and Stacey Symes, the defence challenge to their credibility, and the adjourned extradition of Neville van der Westhuizen, who is serving a sentence in South Africa.

Adds the jury verdicts (11-1 on O'Connor, 10-2 on Keegan), the basis of the joint-enterprise finding, the remand to 8 December for sentencing, and the deliberation length.

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.

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.

Reports that the jury has paused deliberations for the weekend in the double murder trial, with the court hearing that the accused is alleged to have worked with her boyfriend to murder two men whose bodies were found on a midlands lake island.

Reports the judge's charge to the jury, including the joint enterprise test, the alternative verdict of assisting an offender, and the direction that the two murder counts be considered separately.

Closing defence address in the murder trial of Ruth Lawrence, who has pleaded not guilty. The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury.

Reports the prosecution's closing speech in the murder trial of Ruth Lawrence, including its account of the roles of Lawrence and her boyfriend, the motive linked to drug debt, and the trial's jury and judge. The murders are dated only to a period between April and May 2014.

Defence witnesses (Pastors Robert Roger Brazelle and Andre Lombard from the Christian Revival Church in South Africa) testified via videolink about Lawrence's fear of trafficking and her work at safehouses; prosecution outlined its case that Lawrence shot O'Connor and worked with van der Westhuizen to kill both victims; van der Westhuizen's extradition to Ireland is pending after his South African sentence.

Report of the trial's families' evidence on 16 October 2025: Karen Roche, Rory O'Connor, Brian O'Connor and Margaret Keegan testified about the men's last contact, Mr Justice Tony Hunt presiding, and the prosecution's opening case. Ruth Lawrence is given as 45 here, not 46.

Reports that the jury was sent away until Thursday morning because a significant witness is in a medical situation, and that the parties must consider whether the trial can continue without that witness. The article also gives the prosecution's opening account: Lawrence shot Eoin O’Connor, and her boyfriend then shot him again.

Adds landlord Declan McCabe's evidence about Lawrence asking to borrow a boat and engine, and a statement from Sean Symes about men threatening him while looking for his father Jason Symes. The trial continues the following week.

Reports the opening of the trial at the Central Criminal Court on 9 October 2025, including the prosecution's opening account of the shootings and the prosecution's joint enterprise case against Lawrence.

Reports that the trial is not ready to proceed because disclosure is incomplete, that the October 2024 trial date was not kept, and that the matter is adjourned to 21 November. Gives the accused's age and origin and the discovery of the bodies on Inchicup Island.

Reports that the trial is not ready to proceed more than ten years after the alleged offence, despite a trial date set for October 7th last, because disclosure is still incomplete; the matter is adjourned for mention to November 21st.

Trial of Ruth Lawrence on two murder charges adjourned from October 7 to October 29, 2024; the case is expected to last three weeks.

Reports that van der Westhuizen is contesting extradition at the Durban Regional Court, that he says his life would be in danger in Ireland, and that a three-week trial for Ruth Lawrence was set for October 7 next year at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Reports the extradition of Ruth Lawrence from South Africa, her charges of two counts of murder, the Central Criminal Court trial date of 7 October 2024 and a case-management update set for 12 January 2024. It also notes that her alleged former partner, Neville van der Westhuizen, faces extradition over the murders.

Reports Lawrence's arrest at Dublin Airport, her charge at Trim Garda Station, her first court appearance at Trim District Court, remand in custody, and the earlier South African arrest and extradition.

Only the headline is available; the article body is template code with no names, dates, locations or court details. Irish court jurisdiction is inferred from the extradition and charge, not stated.

Reports the charging of Ruth Lawrence at Trim District Court after her arrest at Dublin Airport, and her remand in custody to the Central Criminal Court.

Only the headline is present; the article body contains no further details. No existing case covers this extradition.

Reports that South African authorities approved Ruth Lawrence's extradition, that Irish police will fly to Johannesburg on 21 May 2023 and return her to Dublin on 24 May, and that she will be formally charged on Irish soil. It also gives background on her 2022 arrest in South Africa and on co-accused Neville van der Westhuizen's sentence there.

The extradition request has been signed by South Africa's justice minister, and the handover was expected around 24 May 2023. Lawrence's co-accused Neville van der Westhuizen is serving a sentence in South Africa and must finish it before his extradition can be considered.