ONE OF THE boys accused of Anastasia Kriegel’s murder told gardaí that he lied in his first interviews and said he made up a “fake story” because he couldn’t really remember what happened and was scared and nervous.

Boy B said that when he remembered the truth he felt he couldn’t go back as he had already made a statement so he “kept to the story”.

He then gave gardaí what he told them was a true account of his movements on the day Ana disappeared.

The accused, known as Boy A and Boy B, who are both 14, cannot be named because they are minors.

They have each pleaded not guilty to murdering the 14-year-old girl at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan on 14 May last year.

Boy A is further charged with the 14-year-old’s aggravated sexual assault in a manner that involved serious violence to her. He has pleaded not guilty to that count.

On May 24 and 25, 2018 Boy B was interviewed five times at a garda station. The jury has been viewing footage of those interviews.

On the morning of May 25 Boy B told gardaí he had something to say. His solicitor added: “There is something he wishes to clarify after reflection last night.”

Boy B said: “I’m going to retell the story of how it actually happened. What I told you yesterday was a lie.”

He said Boy A came to his house on May 14 asking him to call for Ana. At first Boy B said no but then, he said, “I gave in to his whinging”. He went to Ana’s house having agreed with Boy A on where to meet.

He got Ana and headed to a park and to a specific location which he pointed out on an aerial photograph. “This is where I actually met [Boy A],” he said. Along the way he checked the time on Ana’s phone and it was 5.14pm, he said.

He added: “I let Ana talk with [Boy A] for a while. I stayed back to let them have some privacy while they talked. While there they started walking up the road. I do not know what they said. A little bit later I got bored and left.”

He said he went and got a drink of water from a nearby tap, then went straight home. He added: “That’s the actual truth.”

Gardaí said he had previously given a different account and told him they had kept an open mind, took down everything he said and asked him to tell the truth.

Boy B said: “I suppose you want an explanation. The reason I told the fake story was because the first time I was with the guards on Tuesday I couldn’t really remember where I went so I made it up, some of it, and since I was scared and nervous I couldn’t really remember so I made it up and once I did remember I thought, I can’t go back, I already made a statement. So I kept to the story.”

Gardaí put it to him that he, “stuck to certain facts” and that it wasn’t until he was confronted with CCTV evidence that he changed his story. They asked him to tell them “everything, I mean absolutely everything”.

He again recounted his movements on the day, adding that he didn’t know why they arranged to meet at the location he highlighted in the park. He also said that after he left Boy A and Ana alone he later met someone that looked like Ana, wearing all black and heels.

He said: “So I suspected that was Ana and I walked up and said, ‘hi,’ but she didn’t say anything. So I walked a bit faster in front of her and that’s it. I walked home.”

Gardaí asked him how he could mistake someone for Ana. He said: “Because that person was wearing all black, she had her hood up, white markings and she was in heels so I thought it was Ana.”

A garda explained to him that he would know his colleague whether he was wearing a shirt and tie, pyjamas, swimming togs or cycling gear. “I would know him because I recognise his face,” he said.

The garda also said that the abandoned house where Ana was found is “very close” to the point where Boy B said he and Ana met Boy A. The garda said: “That’s where Ana died on that day. This is your opportunity.”

Boy B said he was in the house once, late the previous year, but was not there on the day Ana disappeared.

The trial continues.