Courts

Dublin woman who posted photo of Ana Kriégel killer on Facebook was ‘self-appointed judge, jury and executioner’

Judge gives Leeanda Farrelly (49) suspended sentence for identifying one of the killers of 14 year old

Leeanda Farrelly has 23 previous convictions for road traffic offences. Photograph: Collins Courts
Leeanda Farrelly has 23 previous convictions for road traffic offences. Photograph: Collins Courts
Eimear Dodd
Wed Mar 20 2024 - 18:19

A Dublin woman was a “self-appointed judge, jury and executioner” when she shared a photo on Facebook identifying one of the killers of 14 year old Ana Kriégel, a judge has said.

Leeanda Farrelly (49) reposted the image of ‘Boy A’ in a closed Facebook group with approximately 25,000 members on June 19th, 2019, but took it down after about 20 minutes.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the post included text added by Farrelly encouraging others to share the image.

On May 14th, 2018, two 13 year olds lured Ms Kriégel to a derelict farmhouse in Lucan, Co Dublin where she was beaten to death.

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Both boys were convicted of murder on June 18th, 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 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 on Wednesday 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.

Det Garda Robert McNicholls told Maddie Grant, prosecuting, that court orders prohibiting the publication of any material, including photos, that might identify the two boys were made throughout the criminal process and following their conviction.

A public statement was also issued by gardaí on June 19th, 2019 to warn of the consequences of posting this material and it was covered by the media.

A screenshot of Farrelly’s post was shown to the court. It included text reading “these are the two scum that murdered that poor little girl ... share their evil faces, they’ll get new names like that scum that killed baby Jamie Bulger”.

Farrelly told gardaí she got annoyed because she has two girls and a large number of nephews and nieces and didn’t understand why the boys being prosecuted needed to be protected as well.

Judge Codd said there are “very good reasons” why the orders prohibiting the identification of the two boys were in place.

“They are children, notwithstanding they were before the court in respect of a very serious offence,” the judge said, adding that children have “particular protections” under the law due to their level of immaturity and their age.

Judge Codd said the courts also “have a right to protect their own process and a right to expect their orders to be complied with”.

Judge Codd noted that people need to be careful in their use of social media and abuses of it like this “have to be stopped for benefit of society and rule of law in general”.

“People have to understand they don’t have to publish every opinion they hold into the world of social media ... the world doesn’t need to know their views on all things,” Judge Codd said.