Witness says he is 'terrified' of Ruth Lawrence, who he said carried around 'a little black gun'

Alison O’Riordan

A key witness has told a jury that he is "terrified" of double murder accused Ruth Lawrence, who he said carried around "a little black gun" and would put it down the back of her trousers.

Ms 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 22nd 2014 and May 26th 2014, both dates inclusive.

Jason Symes on Thursday gave evidence via video-link, telling Michael O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, that he first met Ms Lawrence's boyfriend, South African national Neville van der Westhuizen, in Ballyjamesduff in Co Cavan.

He said that they were "not good friends" but acquaintances.

Mr Symes said he had met Neville on another occasion in a pub in Dublin, when Neville was having a meeting with a person identified in court only as Mr CD.

Following the meeting, Neville told the witness that he and Mr CD "had words and were going to start selling drugs from them".

Mr Symes said he began selling "weed" for Neville in Ballyjamesduff after this meeting.

At one point in his testimony, the witness said he didn't want to say Ruth and Neville's names as they "terrified" him.

Referring to the night of Good Friday on April 18 2014, Mr Symes said Neville and Ruth took his daughter's Nissan Micra whilst he and Stacey waited in 'Burger King' on O'Connell Street in Dublin. "I didn't know what they were doing, who they were with, no idea," said Mr Symes.

On the way home to Cavan, Mr Symes said they came across a checkpoint on the Navan Road in Dublin. "I thought the gardai would pull the car in and I wouldn't be sitting here if that was the case and those two boys would be alive," said the witness.

When they arrived back at St Patrick's Cottage, Mr Symes said Ruth and Neville emptied their car "with bags and bags of stuff". "I didn't know where it was coming from".

In his opening address, Mr O'Higgins said the evidence will be that Mr O'Connor sold drugs to Mr van der Westhuizen, who owed the deceased man in the region of €70,000.

The trial has heard that Mr O'Connor was under pressure for money, as he had to pay people above him. The deceased and Mr Keegan had gone to speak to Mr Symes - who the trial heard also owed Mr O'Connor money - at his house on Monday April 21st when Mr O'Connor was told the cash would be given to him the next day.

Mr Keegan had accompanied Mr O'Connor "in a supporting role" in case there was any trouble, the jury heard.

Mr Symes said when he went to Patrick's Cottage with his daughter on the evening of April 23 2014 it was "just mayhem" and that "all hell broke out'.

Asked by the prosecutor whether he could remember whether there was any discussion about what had happened to the "two lads", Mr Symes replied: "No not really that time, something said about the job is done or it's done. I didn't understand what he said or what he meant by it.

"I was getting told what to say and do. I was terrified of these two people...I'd seen them with weapons".

Asked who he saw with weapons, the witness replied: "I saw Ruth first with a weapon, she used to carry around a thing, put it down the back of her trousers - a little black gun. I thought it was a toy; I didn't realise".

At one point during his testimony, Mr Symes remarked: "If I had known deep in my heart that it was going to happen to Eoin or his friend I would not have let them out of my house".

The next day on April 24th, Mr Symes said he and his daughter were "bundled" into two cars. "They would not let us be together, we couldn't be father and daughter".

He said Neville had him driving around Ballyjamesduff and the witness wanted to "run to a police car" but didn't know what to say.

Asked whether there was any discussion with Ruth and Neville as to what happened to "the two lads", Mr Symes replied: "I think they told us on Thursday night. I think we were sitting around in the kitchen, they were coked out of their head, going through things, I remember hearing about a headlock and a twist".

Mr O'Higgins asked who said this to which the witness replied: "Ruth said that, she said whatever she'd done, she'd done and that's it and I think he took over, I'm not sure".

"You said something about a twist?" continued the prosecutor. "Like a headlock, that's what she mentioned," replied Mr Symes, adding that he had "blanked everything out" and "didn't want to know anymore".

On Tuesday, the witness's daughter Stacey Symes told the jury she remembered: "Ruth saying she had shot Eoin but it went wrong; that he had twisted or something."

Mr Symes said he had no choice but to leave Ireland as he was told Mr CD knew where his youngest daughter lived.

The witness said he returned from the UK after a few weeks as he wanted to tell the truth "about the boys". "I'd nothing to do with nothing, all I did was be stupid and be nice to people".

Under cross-examination, Patrick Gageby SC, defending, put it to the witness that his client never said "any of the things in the house that you said she said, something to do with headlocks etc". "I disagree because she is going to say that," replied Mr Symes.

When Mr Gageby further put it to the witness he had never seen Ms Lawrence with a gun, Mr Symes said: "I did, on more than one occasion".

The trial continues on Friday before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of four men and eight women.

In his opening address, 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.