Brothers and their wives go on trial for assisting Ashling Murphy killer
The trial of two brothers and their wives, who are accused of withholding information or assisting Jozef Puska after he had murdered 23-year-old school teacher Ashling Murphy in Tullamore three years ago, has gotten under way.
Jozef Puska was convicted of murdering Ms Murphy in January 2022 close to a canal in Tullamore.
Jozef Puska's brothers Marek, aged 34, and Lubomir, aged 35, and their wives Jozefina Grundzova, aged 31, and Viera Gaziova, aged 38, who have addresses in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly are on trial over their alleged actions after the murder.
Lubomir Puska is charged with withholding information by failing, without reasonable excuse, to tell a member of An Garda Síochána as soon as was practicable that Jozef Puska returned home to Mucklagh on the night of 12 January, 2022 with visible injuries and admitted to "cutting" a female with a knife. It is further alleged that he failed to disclose that Jozef Puska travelled to Dublin that night.
Marek Puska is also charged with withholding information about Jozef Puska's visible injuries, that he had admitted to "killing or seriously injuring" a female with a knife and that he travelled to Dublin that night.
Marek Puska is further alleged to have been aware of an arrangement to burn clothing worn by Jozef Puska at the time of the murder.
Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988.
Jozefina Grundzova, who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova, who is married to Lubomir Puska, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between 12 January and 14 January, without reasonable excuse, intending to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska, knowing or believing him to have committed the offence of murder or some other arrestable offence within the same category or of a similar nature.
Ms Grundzova and Ms Gaziova pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997.
Prosecuting barrister Sean Gillane opened the trial today telling the jury that Ashling Murphy was exercising along the canal in Tullamore when she was attacked by Josef Puska who stabbed her 11 times in the neck before fleeing the scene.
Sean Gillane said Josef Puska went to the house where his brothers and their families were living in before going to Dublin that evening to his parents house in Crumlin.
He said CCTV footage shows Josef Puska going to an ambulance to be taken to hospital and he was wearing different clothing and was cleanly shaven.
The prosecution said the four accused in this case were arrested a few days later and gave statements in Tullamore Garda station.
Mr Gillane said they "effectively mislead the gardaí" with their statements and did not disclose crucial information.
He also sais gardaí had also been looking for the clothes that Josef Puska had been wearing and were unable to find.
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