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. 4376Murder (double) · Co. Cavan · 22 Apr 2014

Ruth Lawrence sentenced to two life sentences for double murder of Anthony Keegan and Eoin O'Connor

Ruth Lawrence, 46, was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences at the Central Criminal Court on 8 December 2025 for the 2014 murders of Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O'Connor (32), whose bodies were found bound and buried on a lake island in the midlands. She had fled to South Africa under the surname 'Lawless' for approximately ten years before being extradited back to Ireland in May 2023.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced8 Dec
    4 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
54 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatAnthony Keegan was 33 years old. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAnthony Keegan was shot by van der Westhuizen and the jury found Lawrence and van der Westhuizen acted as a team and were equally liable. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatRuth Lawrence is 46 years old. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatLawrence fled to South Africa after the murders and was extradited back to Ireland in May 2023. (irishtimes.com, dublinlive.ie)
  • whatStacey Symes recalled a trip to Dublin before Easter 2014 when van der Westhuizen collected a gun and sat beside her in the car with it on his lap, telling her it was loaded. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOn Easter Monday 21 April 2014, Lawrence inquired of her landlord whether she could hire a boat to go out on Lough Sheelin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMargaret Keegan went to Mountjoy Garda station on 23 April 2014 and filed a missing-person report for Anthony Keegan. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAnthony Keegan, 33, was murdered. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatEoin O'Connor, 32, was murdered. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatLawrence changed her surname to 'Lawless' and spent ten years on the run. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe jury found that Lawrence shot O'Connor and van der Westhuizen shot Keegan, acting as a team. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe plan was to tie concrete to the bodies and dump them in a lake. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe men's shoes and socks were taken off and coal bags were used in the disposal. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatAnthony Keegan's body was so badly decomposed that the body bag had to remain closed. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereLawrence is originally from Clontarf in Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereLawrence has an address at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent in Co Meath. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereNeville van der Westhuizen's father Peter had moved from Durban, South Africa to Ballyjamesduff in 2000, with Neville following three years later, and they worked in the Liffey Meats processing plant in Co. Cavan. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereIn December 2013, Lawrence and van der Westhuizen began renting Patricks Cottage on the Westmeath side of Lough Sheelin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe bodies were found bound and buried in a shallow grave on a lake island in the midlands. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • whereThe bodies were found on Lough Sheelin. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereLawrence fled to South Africa after the murders. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe bodies were eventually found at Lough Sheelin. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenThe murders occurred on a date between 22 April 2014 and 26 May 2014. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • whenLawrence was extradited back to Ireland in May 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe murders occurred at an unknown location within the State on a date between 22 April 2014 and 26 May 2014. (dublinlive.ie)
  • causeO'Connor sold drugs to van der Westhuizen, who owed him approximately €70,000. (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationThe families' plans to dispose of the bodies were intercepted before the bodies were placed in a lake. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationLawrence was never interviewed by gardaí. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationTwo protected witnesses, father and daughter Jason and Stacey Symes, came forward to An Garda Síochána in 2014. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationLawrence was never interviewed by gardaí and did not give evidence at trial. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe jury returned its findings on 12 November 2025. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtAn application to return van der Westhuizen to Ireland to face trial will take place after he finishes his sentence in South Africa. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe judge handing down the sentences was Mr Justice Tony Hunt. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtLawrence did not give evidence in the trial and was never interviewed by gardaí. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trial lasted five weeks. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe jury found that Lawrence shot O'Connor. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe jury found that Keegan was shot by van der Westhuizen and that both acted as a team. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtLawrence pleaded not guilty to both murders. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • courtA Central Criminal Court jury found Lawrence guilty on 12 November 2025. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtTwo protected witnesses, father and daughter Jason and Stacey Symes, gave evidence at the trial. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe sentencing was handed down by Mr Justice Tony Hunt. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe prosecution was led by Michael O'Higgins SC with Jane Horgan-Jones BL, and the defence by Patrick Gageby SC. (dublinlive.ie)
  • sentenceRuth Lawrence was sentenced to two mandatory terms of life imprisonment for murder. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe sentences were backdated to 4 October 2022 when she went into custody. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
  • sentenceVan der Westhuizen is serving a 15-year sentence in Durban for murder, attempted murder and kidnapping in a separate case. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceLawrence was sentenced to two separate life sentences on 8 December 2014. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceLawrence was sentenced to two mandatory terms of life imprisonment for murdering the two men. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherLawrence changed her surname to 'Lawless' while on the run. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherLawrence used the email address 'ruthofallevil'. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherLawrence spent ten years on the run in a country with no extradition agreement with Ireland. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherLawrence worked for a church in South Africa while on the run. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherLawrence feared human trafficking in South Africa and stayed in women's refuges. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherVan der Westhuizen owed O'Connor approximately €70,000 for drugs. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherVan der Westhuizen is serving a 15-year sentence in Durban for a separate case and an application to return him to Ireland will be made after his sentence. (dublinlive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 8 Dec2025
    Sentenceddublinlive.ie, first report
    Dublin woman who found murder 'funny' handed two life sentences

    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.

    convicted, 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, named, non-irish (judged from name)Neville van der Westhuizen
  2. 8 Dec2025
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Killer who found murder 'funny' learns her fate as devastated families speak out

    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.

    convicted, 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, named, non-irish (judged from name)Neville van der Westhuizenvictim, Karen Roche, female, irish (judged from name)Karen Rochevictim, Margaret Keegan, female, irish (judged from name)Margaret Keegan
  3. 8 Dec2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    The full story of Ruth Lawrence’s double murder trial

    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.

    victim, Eoin O'Connor, 32, male, irish (judged from name)Eoin O'Connorvictim, Anthony Keegan, 33, male, irish (judged from name)Anthony Keeganconvicted, Ruth Lawrence, female, named, irish (judged from name)Ruth Lawrence
  4. 8 Dec2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Ruth Lawrence given two life sentences for murders of two men found on lake island

    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.

    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 Keeganaccused, Neville van der Westhuizen, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Neville van der Westhuizen