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Ruth Lawrence Given Two Life Sentences for 2014 Double Murder

The judge backdated the life terms to 2022.

Overview

  • A Central Criminal Court jury found that Lawrence shot Eoin O'Connor and acted as a unit with Neville van der Westhuizen in both killings.
  • Victim impact statements described long‑term trauma and the callous treatment of the bodies.
  • The men were found bound and buried in a shallow grave on a lake island weeks after they disappeared.
  • Trial evidence cited an estimated €70,000 drug debt owed by van der Westhuizen to O'Connor as a motive.
  • Lawrence fled to South Africa and was extradited in May 2023, while van der Westhuizen remains in a Durban prison serving 15 years before any move to Ireland.