Woman escapes prison for sharing Ana suspect photo
A DUBLIN woman was a ‘self-appointed judge, jury and executioner’ when she shared a photograph on Facebook identifying one of the killers of 14-year-old Ana Kriégel, a judge has said.
Leeanda Farrelly, 49, who has been given a nine-month suspended sentence, reposted the image of ‘Boy A’ in a closed Facebook group with approximately 25,000 members on June 19, 2019, but took it down after around 20 minutes.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the post included text added by Farrelly encouraging others to share the image.
On May 14, 2018, two 13-yearold boys lured Ana Kriégel to a derelict farmhouse in Lucan, Co. Dublin, where she was beaten to death.
Both boys were convicted of murder on June 18, 2019 following a trial at the Central Criminal Court during which they were referred to as ‘Boy A’ and ‘Boy B’. ‘Boy A’ was also convicted of aggravated sexual assault.
Neither boy can be identified by order of the trial judge and under a provision of the Children’s Murdered: Ana Kriégel Act that prohibits the identification of minors who have been accused or convicted of a criminal offence.
Farrelly of Kilmartin Avenue, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to a charge of publication of a report likely to lead to the identification of a child involved in criminal proceedings. She has 23 previous convictions for road traffic offences.
Imposing sentence yesterday, Judge Pauline Codd said this was an offence where ‘ignorance of the law is no defence.’ She described Farrelly as a ‘self-appointed judge, jury and executioner’, who herself had ‘little or no regard’ for the road traffic laws and is ‘not a person who is perfect herself ’.
The judge noted that Farrelly has many positive characteristics, including her love of animals, and had expressed remorse.
Imposing a fully suspended sentence of nine months, Judge Codd said Farrelly seemed to have been motivated by ‘a sense of grievance and annoyance’ and a ‘misplaced sense of need to protect’.
The judge said it was not the job of ‘self-appointed people’ to protect others, but the job of the gardaí and the courts.
Detective Garda Robert McNicholls told prosecuting barrister Maddie Grant that court orders prohibiting publication of any material, including photos, that might identify the two boys were made throughout the criminal process.