Ana Kriegel murder trial: Jury asked to consider if there's any real evidence Boy A 'planned any of this at all'

"Has any witness given evidence that Boy A ever said he wanted to kill", Mr Gageby asked the jury to consider.

Mr Gageby said one teenager had nothing to say about it, and a second teenager, in his evidence, said Boy A had said it but only as a throwaway comment, in a joking way.

The lawyer said there wasn't "a pick of evidence" from the witness box in relation to it.

The two accused, who were both aged 13 at the time, have pleaded not guilty before the Central Criminal Court to murdering 14-year-old Ana Kriegel at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road in Lucan on May 14, 2018.

One of the boys, Boy A, has also denied a charge of aggravated sexual assault.

This morning, defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC, for Boy A, told the jury that they were the judges in the case, and they were the community which was going to decide this case against Boy A.

Mr Gageby said the Constitution recognises the special position of the jury as being central to the administration of justice, telling the jurors "you are the voice of the community in the administration of justice".

Mr Gageby said he was not going to tell the jury what their verdict should be, as that was a matter for them. "Your area is the facts", he said.

The lawyer said the accused was only 13 at the time of this incident, and only a year out of primary school. He asked the jury to recognise that young people, particularly those in their early teens, "have an immaturity".

Mr Gageby said it was worth acknowledging the "enormous grace" which Ana's parents had exhibited in the face of the evidence over the last six or seven weeks.

He said the death of a child is every parent's worst nightmare, even more so when death is sudden, unforeseen and violent.

In relation to Boy A's family, Mr Gageby said they are hard-working, decent people, and their home was not a place that gardai ever called to.

Nor was Boy A known to gardai, there was no drinking in the park or any suggestion of anti-social behaviour.

Mr Gageby said these proceedings are of such an adult form that it is perhaps easy to forget the world of a 13 or 14 year old, and he asked jurors to be careful about any large speculation or drawing unfair inferences.

Mr Gageby said this was a case of "almost entirely circumstantial evidence" and he told the jury that evidence must be very carefully weighed by them.

Senor counsel, Damien Colgan, for Boy B, has now begun his closing address to the jury.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women.