Ruth Lawrence (45) has pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O’Connor (32)
Ruth Lawrence (45), who is originally from Clontarf in Dublin but with an address at Patricks Cottage, Ross, Mountnugent in Co Meath has pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Keegan (33) and Eoin O’Connor (32) at an unknown location within the State on a date between April 22, 2014 and May 26, 2014, both dates inclusive.
In his opening speech, Michael O’Higgins SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the jury that the prosecution can last place Mr Keegan and Mr O’Connor as being alive on the early evening of April 22 in 2014 and “thereafter they disappeared from sight”.
Mr O’Higgins said in his opening address that the prosecution was not in a position to adduce evidence “to pinpoint the precise moment” when both men were shot dead, however “looking at the evidence in the round” it seems likely it was later on the evening of April 22, 2014.
Ms Sarah Skedd, a senior intelligence analyst with An Garda Siochana, today told Jane Horgan-Jones BL, prosecuting, that she had call data records for 12 phone numbers in the investigation and examined them to see what calls and connections were made as well as what cell sites were used.
Ms Skedd said Mr O’Connor’s phone handset was retrieved from a Ford Focus on April 23, 2014. The jury has heard that on the evening of Tuesday April 22, Mr O’Connor drove himself and Mr Keegan to Ballyjamesduff in Co Cavan in his mother’s silver-coloured Ford Focus.
Lough Sheelin murder victim Eoin O’Connor
News in 90 Seconds, Wednesday, October 29
Referring to Monday April 21 2014 – the day before the men were last seen alive – Ms Skedd said Mr O’Connor and Mr Keegan’s phone records indicated that they had arrived in Co Cavan at 9.30am and left by 2pm.
The witness said Mr O’Connor and Mr Keegans phones had used cell sites in Dublin on Tuesday April 22 at 5.43pm. Following this, Ms Skedd said cell sites were used on the men’s phones which were “consistent with a journey along the N3”, travelling in a northwesterly direction.
Ms Skedd agreed that connections on Mr O’Connor’s phone were happening with cell sites covering the Ballyjamesduff area in Co Cavan around 7.29pm until 8.41pm that evening. “Cell sites located slightly outside the town,” said the witness.
Ms Skedd said a phone that the prosecution says belonged to Ms Lawrence and another phone allegedly associated with the accused and her boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen had used cell sites consistent with travelling towards Cavan town and in Cavan town after 6.25pm on the same evening.
Ruth Lawrence
She agreed the last cell site Ms Lawrence’s phone connected to was a site in Cavan town. The last activity on the accused’s phone was at 7.36pm with no activity after that, she said.
The witness said the last text message Mr O’Connor had received on his phone was at 8.38pm that night.
Ms Skedd also told Ms Horgan-Jones that there was an unsent text message on Mr O’Connor’s phone from 8.38pm which said “still waiting on him, phone off again”. Ms Horgan-Jones said the unsent text message did not appear to have a recipient.
Ms Horgan-Jones asked the witness about a data connection on Mr O’Connor’s phone at 9.01pm that night. “What can you tell us about the activity or lack thereof on Mr O’Connor’s phone?” asked the prosecutor.
Ms Skedd said from that point onward it was related to incoming text messages and missed calls. She agreed the series of text messages were all unread.
Earlier, the witness said Mr O’Connor had sent a text message to another number at 5.57pm on April 22, which said: “Have to go to country, Woodlands in Ballyjamesduff if anything happens me”. There was a further exchange between Mr O’Connor and that phone number at 6.05pm where Mr O’Connor said: “He won’t meet if anyone with me, bod is with me and I’ve someone halfway”.
The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of four men and eight women.
In his opening address, Mr O’Higgins said the evidence will be that Mr O’Connor sold drugs to Neville van der Westhuizen, who owed the deceased man in the region of €70,000. Mr O’Higgins told the jury that the State would argue that Ms Lawrence shot drug dealer Mr O’Connor and worked “as a unit” with her boyfriend to kill him and Mr Keegan, with their bodies later found “bound in rope, tape and covered in tarpaulin” on Inchicup Island on Lough Sheelin.