Trial date set for woman extradited from South Africa for double murder of two friends

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

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

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

He then adjourned the matter to January 12, 2024, for a case-management update.

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

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 with two counts of murder on an unknown date between April 22 and May 26, 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 County 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, is also facing extradition to Ireland over the murders.

However, the 41-year-old 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.