The defence team representing one of the boys accused of Ana Kriégel’s murder asked the trial judge to allow the jury to consider a verdict of manslaughter for their client. If that happened and the jury had no option for manslaughter they would only be able to acquit, he said. His defence was carried out “in the absence of any acknowledgement he was in the building”, Mr Justice McDermott said. Her injuries, Mr Justice McDermott said, were “catastrophic” and the prosecution maintained that the intention to kill was proven by the extent of her injuries. Mr Justice McDermott said the application was “artificial” and “unrealistic” and that it would have been appropriate for the defence to raise the matter at an earlier stage in the trial.

Source: The Irish Times June 19, 2019 13:51 UTC