Second Ana murder accused granted bail
THE second 13-year-old boy to be charged with the murder of Kildare schoolgirl Anastasia Kriegel has been granted High Court bail.
The boy, who cannot be named, has been held at the Oberstown detention centre in north Dublin since July 12, when he was charged. His bail application came before Mr Justice Robert Eagar at a High Court sitting in Cloverhill yesterday.
The teen, dressed in a cream hoodie top and black jeans, sat between his parents during the in-camera hearing.
He was accompanied to court by his barrister, Damien Colgan SC, who pleaded for bail. Garda Inspector Mark O’Neill, who is leading the investigation, objected.
However, bail was granted, and the teen spoke briefly to confirm he understood the order. He will face his next hearing at the Dublin Children’s Court on August 28, when it is expected he will be served with a book of evidence and returned for trial. He is accused of murdering 14-year-old Anastasia, known as Ana, at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan, Dublin, on May 14.
At his first hearing, on July 12 at the Children’s Court, evidence was given of the boy’s arrest at his home that morning, and of him being charged at Lucan Garda Station. The court heard he made no reply to the charge.
Special directions, necessary due to the boy’s age, had been obtained from the DPP, the court had been told. Due to the nature of the charge, the Children’s Court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the issue of bail.
Anastasia, who was adopted from Russia at the age of two, left her house in Leixlip at about 5pm on May 14; however, she did not come home and gardaí were alerted.
Her body was found at a disused farmhouse three days later.
The co-accused, also aged 13, had been remanded in custody on May 25 by the Children’s Court. He was the first to be charged with Anastasia’s murder.
Bail terms, however, were set by the High Court and he was released at the start this month. He is due to appear again at the Children’s Court on August 30.
The court has heard that the DPP ‘has directed trial on indictment’, which means the case will be transferred to the Central Criminal Court once the books of evidence have been completed. There has been no indication yet as to how either boy intends to plead.