Jury in Ruth Lawrence double murder trial may return majority verdict

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Jury in Ruth Lawrence Double Murder Trial May Return Majority Verdict

The jury deliberating in the trial of Ruth Lawrence has the option to deliver a majority verdict. Comprising four men and eight women, the panel began its deliberations on Thursday afternoon, spending over eight hours across three days in the jury room at the Criminal Courts of Justice building.

Background of the Case

Ruth Lawrence is accused of murdering two men, Anthony Keegan and Eoin O’Connor. The prosecution claims she and her boyfriend worked collaboratively to commit these crimes. Lawrence was extradited from South Africa in 2023, nearly a decade after the victims’ bodies were discovered on a lake island in the midlands.

The murders allegedly took place between April 22 and May 26, 2014. Lawrence, 46, originally from Clontarf, Dublin, now resides in Co Meath. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.

Deliberation Process

The jury reached out to Justice Tony Hunt at 2:24 PM, inquiring about a potential non-unanimous verdict and the possibility of considering an alternative verdict of “guilty of assisting an offender.” After deliberating for nearly seven hours, the judge provided clarity on their options. He indicated that a majority verdict would be acceptable if at least ten jurors agreed on one or both counts.

Verdict options include:

Guilty of murder
Not guilty of murder but guilty of assisting an offender
Not guilty

Justice Hunt emphasized that the alternative verdict could only be considered if they found the prosecution’s case insufficient regarding the murder charges. He reminded the jury that a vote lower than 10-2 does not constitute a verdict.

Witness Testimonies

Key testimonies came from two protected witnesses, Jason and Stacey Symes, who provided statements to An Garda Siochana about Lawrence and her boyfriend’s alleged roles in the crimes. Stacey recounted Lawrence reportedly saying she shot O’Connor, but the situation escalated, leading her boyfriend to intervene further.

Prosecutor Michael O’Higgins SC described Lawrence and her boyfriend as working as a unit to lure O’Connor for a calculated murder. In contrast, defense attorney Patrick Gageby SC argued that the Symes duo had portrayed themselves as innocents and downplayed their involvement, claiming they were not reliable witnesses.

Financial Motives

In his opening address, O’Higgins highlighted a potential motive, stating that O’Connor had sold drugs to Lawrence’s boyfriend, who owed him approximately €70,000. This financial aspect plays a crucial role in understanding the dynamics of the alleged crimes.

The jury was allowed to recess for the evening and will reconvene tomorrow morning as they continue their deliberations.