Ana Kriégel: accused boy gave gardaí two different accounts, murder trial hears

A boy accused of murdering 14-year-old schoolgirl Ana Kriégel gave gardaí two significantly different accounts of his last movements with her, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

On the day after she went missing the boy went with gardaí to a local park and described where he walked with Ana. Later that day he did this again but there were several differences, according to an investigating garda.

The next day Ana’s body was found in a disused farmhouse several kilometres away, the trial heard.

It is the prosecution case this boy, known as Boy B, lured Ana from her home on the pretence of meeting his best friend, Boy A, who Ana was “interested” in. Boy A then allegedly violently sexually assaulted and murdered her in a derelict farmhouse as Boy B watched.

Boy A has pleaded not guilty to the murder and sexual assault “involving serious violence” of Ana on May 14th, 2018 at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan in Dublin.

Boy B has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ana on the same date.

The accused, who are both aged 14 but were 13 at the time of the alleged murder, cannot be identified due to their age. Their trial is expected to last up to six weeks.

On Wednesday afternoon the court heard from three gardaí involved in the search for Ana which ended on May 17th when her naked body was found in a blood-splattered room in Glenwood House.

The gardaí described putting out a media alert about Ana’s disappearance which led to several false leads. There were reported sightings of Ana at Dublin Airport, in Dundrum and in a nearby housing estate, all of which had to be investigated by gardaí.

As well as speaking to her schoolmates and conducting multiple searches of the area with Ana’s family, gardaí also “pinged” Ana’s phone in a bid to track her movements.

On the evening of her disappearance Ana’s parents told gardaí she was last seen leaving home in the company of Boy B after he called to their door. Her mother Geraldine said this was unusual because she had nothing to do with this boy and “nobody ever called for Ana.”

Gardaí called to Boy B’s home that same evening. He told gardaí he had called to Ana’s house at 5pm and that they went to a nearby park where they spoke briefly before he returned home. He said he last saw her at 5.40pm.

Sergeant John Dunne said on the morning of the next day he went to Boy B’s house. This time Boy B said he had called to Ana on behalf of Boy A. Ana had a crush on Boy A but he was not interested and wanted to meet up with her to tell her, Boy B told gardaí.

He said he brought Ana to the park where she met Boy A. They had a conversation and went their separate ways, he said.

Sgt Dunne then took Boy B to the park so he could show him the route he took with Ana and where he last saw her. At the park the garda noted the GPS positions of certain locations pointed out by the boy.

Later that day, Gda Dunne decided to search along the railway line in Leixlip before returning to the park where Ana was last seen. He said in the park, at 3.14pm, he passed an adult male and a boy. The adult stopped him, said he was a local and suggested he check a near-by sewage plant for Ana because young people liked to hang out there.

Half an hour later, as part of his investigation, he went to the home of Boy A. His father answered the door and Sgt Dunne realised this was the man who told him about the sewage plant and that the boy with him was Boy A.

Boy A and his father accompanied Sgt Dunne and Boy B back to the park because the garda wanted to ask follow-up questions on the route they took.

Sgt Dunne said both Boy A and Boy B walked ahead of the adults. He said the route Boy B showed him was different in places to the one they walked earlier.

At one point Boy B stopped and said he had gone no further with Ana. The garda said he saw Boy A give Boy B “a look” but they did not say anything.

Sgt Dunne then asked Boy B and his mother to come to the Garda Station to give a statement about the route because it had “significantly changed” from the one described earlier. This was done and the garda later dropped the boy home.

The next day Sgt Dunne was searching in the area around the sewage plant when he was notified Ana’s body had been found.

Under cross-examination from Damian Colgan SC, defending Boy B, Sgt Dunne agreed the first route walk took place “early” at about 9am and that the boy was accompanied by his brother. During the second walk none of the boy’s family were there, he said.

The trial continues on Thursday morning before a jury of eight men and four women.