Ruth Lawrence is facing a life sentence later this month.
Ruth Lawrence has been found guilty of murdering two men, whose bodies were found on an island on Lough Sheelin over ten years ago.
The 45-year-old, from Clontarf in Dublin, had denied murdering Eoin O’Connor and Anthony Keegan over a significant drug debt owed by her boyfriend.
After deliberating for close to 14 hours, the judge asked for silence in the packed courtroom before the jury returned with its verdicts.
A number of options were open to the jurors but in the end, they convicted Ruth Lawrence of murdering both men.
She was tried on the basis of joint enterprise. It was the prosecution’s case that she and her boyfriend, Neville Van der Westhuizen, lured Eoin O’Connor and Anthony Keegan to their death.
A protected witness gave evidence of Lawrence confiding in her that she had shot Mr O’Connor but that it “went wrong.”
The prosecution contended that Mr Van der Westhuizen then took over.
Because they were acting as a team, the jurors were invited to convict her of murder – and they did, by majority verdict.
Friends and family members sobbed and embraced each other in the public gallery.
Ruth Lawrence remained emotionless.
She will be handed a life sentence when the case returns to court next month.
Midlands MEP Demands EU Ban on Conversion Therapy
Midlands Store Revealed As Location Of Second Lotto Winning Ticket
Ryanair Boss Keeps Firm On Growth During Jet Fuel Crisis
Burke Family Members Spend Night In Dóchas Centre After Arrest
Martina And Ammi Burke Arrested At Castlerea Prison
Westmeath Energy Boss Warns Against Panic Stockpiling Of Fuel
Midlands Animal Charity Slams ‘Disgusting’ Drop In Equine Welfare Cases
Insurance Costs Continue Upward Trend Despite Reform Measures
HSE and Pharmacy Union Agreement Reached On Blister Packs
Laois Community To Challenge Approval Of Two IPAS Centres
€1 Million Lotto Jackpot Won In Westmeath Once Again
€20K Reward Offered For Stolen Lego Container In Laois
Reintroduction Of State Exam Fees Criticised By Longford-Westmeath TD
Offaly Bog Heritage Group Voice Concerns Over Windfarm
Westmeath Chamber Of Commerce Hosting AI Forum
Garda Watchdog Probes Death Of Man In Mullingar
Gardaí Urge Witnesses To Come Forward In Laois Murder Investigation
Laois Driving Instructor Taking On Sahara Ultramarathon
Planning Permission Formally Submitted for Offaly Wind Farm
Latest NASA Moon Mission Countdown Almost Underway