Dublin woman arrested in South Africa in relation to murders says she is willing to be extradited

A Dublin woman who was arrested in South Africa earlier this month after fleeing Ireland in 2014 following a double murder has told state prosecutors she is willing to be extradited to face the charges against her.

Ruth Lawrence (42), originally from Clontarf, was expected to apply for bail at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court in the Free State on Wednesday following her arrest last week in Pellissier, a suburb of the provincial capital.

According to the South African police, Ms Lawrence was taken into custody after Interpol issued a warrant of arrest against her regarding the murder of Eoin O’ Connor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33) who were found murdered in Ireland in 2014.

Ms Lawrence left Ireland with her then boyfriend Neville van der Westhuizen (39) shortly after both victims were found wrapped in plastic sheeting and buried in a shallow grave on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin in Co Meath.

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Mr van der Westhuizen is also wanted for the murders of Mr O’Connor and Mr Keegan, but he is still serving a sentence in a South African prison for a separate murder.

Her legal representative told the presiding magistrate during Wednesday’s court appearance that she had changed her mind regarding applying for bail. Her case was then postponed to 16 November 2022 for extradition.

A spokesperson National Prosecuting Authority’s Free State Division said the case had been postponed until next month to allow for the South African and Irish authorities to work on logistical arrangements on how Ms Lawrence will be extradited back to Ireland.

“The National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa will work with the Irish authorities to ensure that Lawrence is extradited back to Ireland to face the charges levelled against her,” Phaladi Shuping said in a statement.

He added: “It is alleged that Lawrence fled Ireland when she realised that she is wanted for murder. Investigations revealed that she fled to London, England, before travelling onwards to South Africa. She allegedly left the United Kingdom on May 29th, 2014, from London’s Heathrow Airport to Istanbul, Turkey, before she came to South Africa via Johannesburg.”

Speaking to The Irish Times after the postponement, Mr Shuping said it was still unclear how Ms Lawrence had survived financially while in South Africa, and whether she had travelled to other countries since her arrival.

“It is likely that this sort of information will only come to light once she appears in an Irish court,” he explained.