Journalist alleged to have named one of Ana Kriégel’s killers on radio

A Central Criminal Court judge has granted leave to issue a contempt of court motion after a journalist allegedly named one of the boys convicted of Ana Kriégel’s murder twice on a Cork radio show.

Brendan Grehan SC, on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), on Thursday told Mr Justice Michael White that a contempt of court matter had arisen relating to the recent trial of the two boys who were identified in media reports only as Boy A and Boy B due to their age.

The 14-year-olds were convicted earlier this month of murdering 14-year-old Ana at an abandoned farmhouse at Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan on May 14th last year.

Boy A was further convicted of aggravated sexual assault in a manner that involved serious violence.

The boys were found guilty by unanimous jury verdicts following an eight-week trial.

Order

It is an offence to publish their identities under the Children Act and due to an order made by the trial judge Mr Justice Paul McDermott.

Mr Grehan said that journalist Niall O’Connor named one of the boys twice during an interview on the Neil Prendeville show on Cork radio station Red FM on the morning of June 19th, the day after the verdicts.

Handing a redacted transcript of the interview into the court, Mr Grehan said the issue arose towards the end of the interview when the journalist twice identified by name one of the boys before he was “cut off mid-stream”.

Counsel said the DPP had made contact with Mr O’Connor and the radio station and both parties are cooperating.

Mr Justice White granted leave to issue the motion which will be raised before Mr Justice McDermott on Monday.