TWO teenagers have been found guilty before the Central Criminal Court of the murder of schoolgirl Ana Kriegel.
One of them, known as Boy A, has also been found guilty of aggravated sexual assault.
The boys, who were just 13 years old at the time, had denied the offences.
Ana's body, naked apart from a pair of black socks, was found by gardai in a derelict farmhouse, Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, in Lucan at 1pm on May 17, 2018.
The 14-year-old had been reported missing by her parents Patric and Geraldine Kriegel three days earlier.
Ana was last seen by her father leaving her home in the company of the second accused, Boy B, around 5pm on the day she disappeared, and heading towards the park.
Schoolgirl Ana Kriegel2
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Schoolgirl Ana Kriegel
Boy B was interviewed by gardai for over 17 hours on two separate dates, on May 24 and July 7 last year.
In his interviews, Boy B had claimed that he called to Ana's house on behalf of Boy A who told him he wanted to sort out some "relationship issues" with her.
In his closing address to the jury, prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC said there was an "overwhelming forensic case" against Boy A, which not just connected him to the scene but where items belonging to him, from his house, connected him to Ana and the scene.
Mr Grehan told jurors it was the prosecution case that there was "no innocent explanation" that could explain away these facts other than Boy A's involvement.
He said the evidence in relation to Boy A pointed in only one way - he was at the scene, he was there when Ana was bleeding, his DNA was on her neck and his semen was on her top. Most significant of all, Mr Grehan added, is that Ana's blood was on Boy A's boots.
In relation to Boy B, Mr Grehan said there was no forensic evidence connecting him to the scene, and the case against Boy B relied on "what came out of his own mouth" in his interviews with gardai.
Mr Grehan said the interviews contained "lies, untruths and half truths" and told the jury "quite where the lies end or the truth begins will be a matter you will have to decide".
After deliberating for 14 hours and 25 minutes, jurors came back at 2.11pm and delivered the verdicts, first for Boy A and then for Boy B.