The trial of a 45-year-old Dublin woman, who is accused of the murder of two men more than ten years ago, has heard that both men had gun shot wounds to the head.

Ruth Lawrence, who is originally from Clontarf, is accused of the murder of 33-year-old Anthony Keegan and 32-year-old Eoin O’Connor, whose bodies were found on Inchicup Island on Lough Sheelin near the Meath-Cavan border on 26 May 2014.

In May 2023, Ms Lawrence was charged with two counts of murder on an unknown date between 22 April and 26 May 2014, when gardaí were alerted to the discovery of the men’s bodies.

Opening the case this afternoon, Prosecuting Counsel Michael O’Higgins told the jury the reason there was no specific date for the murder was because the prosecution could place Mr O’Connor and Mr Keegan as being alive on 22 April 2014 and thereafter “they disappeared from sight” before their bodies were recovered on 26 May.

He said the bodies were found on Inchicup Island on Lough Sheelin, which is a lake that straddles the borders of Cavan, Meath and Westmeath.

He said the accused, Ms Lawrence, lived at Patrick’s Cottage with her boyfriend Neville Van Der Westhuisen, which was on the Westmeath side of the lough.

Mr O’Higgins said Inchicup Island is about 100 metres from the shoreline close to Patrick’s Cottage.

He said both men died from gunshot wounds; Mr O’Connor had been shot in the head and stomach and Mr Keegan had been shot in the neck and head.

He said the jury would not have to decide if the men had been murdered as both had been shot dead but they would have to decide if the evidence establishes that Ms Lawrence murdered them.

Mr O’Higgins said the prosecution would contend that she shot Mr O’Connor, although that shot was not immediately fatal, but was followed by a shot from her boyfriend who also shot Mr Keegan.

He told the jury the prosecution would contend that Ms Lawrence was acting in concert and as a team with her boyfriend Mr Van Der Westhuisen and that both were guilty of the offence of murder.

The prosecution opening statement is continuing. Ms Lawrence denies the charges.