'Pact with boyfriend to murder dealer & pal'

Trial set to hear woman 'worked as unit' with lover Partner owed deceased around €70k in drug debts

- BY ALISON O'RIORDAN

INVESTIGATION Anthony Keegan, top, and Eoin O'Connor, who were shot and Garda cordon at Lough Sheelin

A WOMAN shot a drug dealer and worked “as a unit and as part of an agreement" with her boyfriend to kill him and another man, the State is to argue at a murder trial.

It is also alleged the bodies of the two men were found “bound in rope, tape and covered in tarpaulin” by fishermen over a decade ago.

Opening the trial of Ruth Lawrence, 45, at the Central Criminal Court yesterday, counsel for the State said the 12 jurors will hear evidence the accused woman shot one of the two men but this was not immediately fatal and was “quickly followed up” by a shot from the defendant's boyfriend.

The jury were also told by senior counsel Michael O'Higgins it is the prosecution's case that Ms Lawrence and her boyfriend had “spoken openly” about “the murders and disposing of the bodies”.

He said: “The prosecution contends the comments made by Lawrence indicate she was involved in both of the murders and disposing of the bodies”.