Evil killer Josef Puska going to prison school ‘courtesy of the Irish taxpayer'
'It is ironic that Puska's victim, Aisling, a teacher by trade can't go to school because he took her life, but yet he can'
Evil killer Josef Puska is going to school every day behind bars, we can reveal.
The brute who stabbed primary school teacher Aisling Murphy to death in a frenzied attack while she was out jogging, is learning how to read, write and speak English.
The 35 year old Slovakian is serving a life sentence for a crime that shocked the nation in the Midlands Prison.
Prison sources say he has yet to admit his guilt or give any explanation why he did it.
Yet he is now getting an education while in jail courtesy of the Irish taxpayer and it is costing thousands of euros every year.
Teacher Ashling Murphy was stabbed to death
A prison source said; "It is ironic that Puska's victim, Aisling, a teacher by trade can't go to school because he took her life, but yet he can.
"Every day now he goes to school in the Midlands Prison and is learning to speak English, and to read and write in English, among other things.
"Most lifers take a prison job - but he didn't.
"However that is no surprise since he lived off Irish state handouts for years and hardly ever did a day's work in his life.'
The education system in Irish jails is among the best in the world. Inmates can go to school every day and do exams from the Leaving Certificate to a University Degree.
Quite often many prisoners who were born into a life of poverty and crime just do basics like learning to read and write.
Aisling was killed in Tullamore, Co Offaly while out running on January 12, 2022.
Puska had been living with his wife Lucia and their children in a house on the outskirts of the town.
He pleaded not guilty even though he had confessed to the murder to the Gardai while recovering in hospital after trying to take his own life.
His trial heard he had been cycling around Tullamore stalking other women on the day of the murder before singling out Aisling and stabbing her 11 times in an unprovoked attack.
Jozef Puska being led in to Tullamore District Court in January 2022. Photo: PA
The jury saw through his denials and convicted him in November, 2023.
He has been detained in the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise not far from his home for most of the time since.
He has launched an appeal against his conviction and no date has been set for it yet, but the speculation is it will be this Autumn.
He claims his "confession" should never have been revealed at his trial in the first place because he was on medication, the painkiller Oxycodone and was recovering from surgery.
Puska has been telling fellow inmates that he is confident of winning it and that he will be back on the streets free soon enough.
Jozef Puska (centre) when he was charged with the murder of Ashling Murphy
The killer is visited by his wife at the jail most weeks and she is firmly standing by him.
He is being detained in a landing along with a number of other murderers who are serving life sentences.
It is believed he decided to start going to school several months ago and is enjoying it.
The prison source said; " He had no interest in doing a prison job like cooking and cleaning so going to school gives him something to do every day instead of dossing around the place.
"He had to have a translator after his arrest and during the trial because he said he didn't understand English so maybe he will now understand the English language for his appeal."
It currently costs 100,000 euros a year to keep a prisoner locked up in an Irish Jail.
The prison source said Puska is likely to serve 30 years because no Independent Parole Board or Justice Minister will want to see him get released early.
He added; "This fella is going to cost Irish taxpayers around 3 million euros for what he did, and then we are educating him as well."
The Judge at the trial, Mr Justice Hunt, bemoaned the fact that he didn't have the power to impose a minimum jail time Puska must serve for what he did.
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