Symbiotic: how Ruth Lawrence became a double murderer

At Dublin's Central Criminal Court, a trial has heard evidence concerning the disappearances of Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan, who went missing from Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan on 22 April 2014. Eoin, a 32-year-old drug dealer, sent a cautionary text message that evening before travelling to the area with his friend. His brothers reported him missing after failed attempts to contact him that night. The court heard testimony that Eoin was owed substantial sums by local men, including approximately €70,000 by South African national Neville van der Westhuizen. Evidence suggested van der Westhuizen and his partner Ruth had entered a relationship described by prosecutors as symbiotic. Witnesses, including members of the Symes family who became protected witnesses, provided accounts of events surrounding the men's disappearance, including an alleged robbery of drugs from Eoin's home in Dublin on Good Friday prior to Easter 2014.