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The Journal
28-05-2025
- The Journal
Jozef Puska's brother denied telling someone to dispose of knife used to murder Ashling Murphy
JOZEF PUSKA'S BROTHER denied to gardaí that he told someone to dispose of the knife used to murder schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, the Central Criminal Court has heard. The jury also heard that Lubomir Puska Jnr (37) denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the clothes worn by his brother on the day Jozef Puska murdered Ms Murphy. Jozef Puska (35) attacked Ms Murphy (23) on the canal towpath at Cappincur in Tullamore on 12 January 2022. She died having suffered 12 sharp force injuries to her neck, eleven of which were stab wounds. Puska's brothers Lubomir Puska Jnr and Marek Puska (36) are charged with withholding information, knowing or believing that the information might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of Jozef Puska for a serious offence involving loss of human life or serious personal injury to another. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988. Jozefina Grundzova (31), who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova (38), who is married to Lubomir Puska Jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between 12 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. They have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997. All the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The jury previously heard that in his first statement to gardaí, Lubomir Jnr said he first saw his brother Jozef in the early afternoon that day. He seemed 'a bit sad, not in a good mood,' Lubomir Jnr said. He told gardaí that he left the house at about 11.30 and did not see his brother again. However, he later returned to the garda station and made a second statement, in which he apologised for lying and said that when Jozef arrived home on the night of January 12, it looked like he had been struck on the forehead. Jury watch garda interview The jury at the Central Criminal Court today watched video footage of Lubomir Jnr's interview with gardaí on 18 January 2022, in which he said he returned home on the day Ms Murphy was murdered to find his brother Jozef looking 'like he was beaten by someone'. Through a Slovakian interpreter, Lubomir Jnr said that Jozef was 'swollen on the forehead' and his cheek was red like he had been scraped. He said his brother had 'a weird walk, kind of broken,' as though something had happened to him. He told the gardaí that his brother, who was just out of the shower, opened the towel he was wearing to reveal three stab wounds. Advertisement 'He looked drunk, but he wasn't drunk,' said Lubomir Jnr. He told gardaí that he asked Jozef what had happened to him, to which his brother replied that he had wanted to kill himself and he had done a 'horrendous thing'. 'He said when he was stabbing himself, there was a girl running or exercising, she went towards him,' the accused told gardaí. 'She said: 'What are you doing? Don't do it, you are too young.' He said to her, 'Leave me alone, it's my life, my business.'' The accused said that Jozef 'probably wanted to push her away to leave him alone', but he thought that Jozef 'cut her with the knife'. After telling the gardaí this, the accused said it had been 'very heavy, very hard to say'. 'I never said anything like that in my life,' said the accused. He told gardaí that he could not believe what his brother was telling him, so he asked him again what he had done. 'Don't make any secrets' He said that Jozef told him: 'I don't know whether I hurt her so much, but I think I did… it must have been an accident, I didn't want to do this, but I just switched my hand as she was coming near me.' The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents immediately what he had done, to which Jozef said that he would tell them but only after they brought him to Dublin. The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents everything and 'don't make any secrets'. In a further interview, the accused told gardaí that he thought Jozef had his clothes in the bathroom with him. When asked if anyone removed those clothes, he said that he did not know. Detective Garda Joanne O'Sullivan gave evidence to prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC of the accused's next interview with gardaí, conducted on 26 January 2022. In this interview, it was put to the accused that someone had asked his wife to move Josef's clothes and put them beside the bin. 'I don't know who it was, it wasn't me,' replied the accused. In a further interview on 27 January 2022, it was put to the accused that when he knew Jozef had murdered Ms Murphy, he 'bundled him up and sent him to Dublin' before giving instructions to dispose of the clothes. The accused denied this and also denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the knife. The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Sunday World
28-05-2025
- Sunday World
Jozef Puska's brother denies telling someone to dispose of murder knife, jury hears
LATEST | Lubomir Puska Jnr told gardaí that he asked Jozef what had happened to him, to which his brother replied that he had wanted to kill himself and he had done a 'horrendous thing'. Lubomir Puska. Photo: Collins Courts The jury also heard that Lubomir Puska Jnr (37) denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the clothes worn by his brother on the day Jozef Puska murdered Ms Murphy. Jozef Puska (35) attacked Ms Murphy (23) on the canal towpath at Cappincur in Tullamore on January 12, 2022. She died having suffered 12 sharp force injuries to her neck, eleven of which were stab wounds. Puska's brothers Lubomir Puska Jnr and Marek Puska (36) are charged with withholding information, knowing or believing that the information might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of Jozef Puska for a serious offence involving loss of human life or serious personal injury to another. Josef Puska Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988. Jozefina Grundzova (31), who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova (38), who is married to Lubomir Puska Jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between January 12 and 14, 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. They have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997. All the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The jury previously heard that in his first statement to gardaí, Lubomir Jnr said he first saw his brother Jozef in the early afternoon that day. He seemed "a bit sad, not in a good mood," Lubomir Jnr said. He told gardaí that he left the house at about 11.30 and did not see his brother again. However, he later returned to the garda station and made a second statement, in which he apologised for lying and said that when Jozef arrived home on the night of January 12, it looked like he had been struck on the forehead. The jury at the Central Criminal Court today watched video footage of Lubomir Jnr's interview with gardaí on January 18, 2022, in which he said he returned home on the day Ms Murphy was murdered to find his brother Jozef looking 'like he was beaten by someone'. Ashling Murphy Through a Slovakian interpreter, Lubomir Jnr said that Jozef was 'swollen on the forehead' and his cheek was red like he had been scraped. He said his brother had 'a weird walk, kind of broken,' as though something had happened to him. He told the gardaí that his brother, who was just out of the shower, opened the towel he was wearing to reveal three stab wounds. 'He looked drunk, but he wasn't drunk,' said Lubomir Jnr. He told gardaí that he asked Jozef what had happened to him, to which his brother replied that he had wanted to kill himself and he had done a 'horrendous thing'. 'He said when he was stabbing himself, there was a girl running or exercising, she went towards him,' the accused told gardaí. 'She said: 'What are you doing? Don't do it, you are too young.' He said to her, 'Leave me alone, it's my life, my business.'' The accused said that Jozef 'probably wanted to push her away to leave him alone', but he thought that Jozef 'cut her with the knife'. After telling the gardaí this, the accused said it had been 'very heavy, very hard to say'. 'I never said anything like that in my life,' said the accused. Lubomir Puska. Photo: Collins Courts News in 90 Seconds - May 28th He told gardaí that he could not believe what his brother was telling him, so he asked him again what he had done. He said that Jozef told him: 'I don't know whether I hurt her so much, but I think I did... it must have been an accident, I didn't want to do this, but I just switched my hand as she was coming near me.' The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents immediately what he had done, to which Jozef said that he would tell them but only after they brought him to Dublin. The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents everything and 'don't make any secrets'. In a further interview, the accused told gardaí that he thought Jozef had his clothes in the bathroom with him. When asked if anyone removed those clothes, he said that he did not know. Detective Garda Joanne O'Sullivan gave evidence to prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC of the accused's next interview with gardaí, conducted on January 26, 2022. Read more In this interview, it was put to the accused that someone had asked his wife to move Josef's clothes and put them beside the bin. 'I don't know who it was, it wasn't me,' replied the accused. In a further interview on January 27, 2022, it was put to the accused that when he knew Jozef had murdered Ms Murphy, he 'bundled him up and sent him to Dublin' before giving instructions to dispose of the clothes. The accused denied this and also denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the knife. The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.
Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Jozef Puska's brother denied telling someone to dispose of knife used to murder Ashling Murphy, jury told
Jozef Puska's brother denied to gardaí that he told someone to dispose of the knife used to murder schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, the Central Criminal Court has heard. The jury also heard that Lubomir Puska Jnr (aged 37) denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the clothes worn by his brother on the day Jozef Puska murdered Ms Murphy. Jozef Puska (aged 35) attacked Ms Murphy (aged 23) on the canal towpath at Cappincur in Tullamore on January 12, 2022. She died having suffered 12 sharp force injuries to her neck, 11 of which were stab wounds. Puska's brothers Lubomir Puska Jnr and Marek Puska (aged 36) are charged with withholding information, knowing or believing that the information might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of Jozef Puska for a serious offence involving loss of human life or serious personal injury to another. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988. Jozefina Grundzova (aged 31), who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova (aged 38), who is married to Lubomir Puska Jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between January 12 and 14, 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. They have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997. All the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The jury previously heard that in his first statement to gardaí, Lubomir Jnr said he first saw his brother Jozef in the early afternoon that day. He seemed "a bit sad, not in a good mood," Lubomir Jnr said. He told gardaí that he left the house at about 11.30 and did not see his brother again. However, he later returned to the garda station and made a second statement, in which he apologised for lying and said that when Jozef arrived home on the night of January 12, it looked like he had been struck on the forehead. 'Horrendous thing' The jury at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday watched video footage of Lubomir Jnr's interview with gardaí on January 18, 2022, in which he said he returned home on the day Ms Murphy was murdered to find his brother Jozef looking 'like he was beaten by someone'. Through a Slovakian interpreter, Lubomir Jnr said that Jozef was 'swollen on the forehead' and his cheek was red like he had been scraped. He said his brother had 'a weird walk, kind of broken,' as though something had happened to him. He told the gardaí that his brother, who was just out of the shower, opened the towel he was wearing to reveal three stab wounds. 'He looked drunk, but he wasn't drunk,' said Lubomir Jnr. He told gardaí that he asked Jozef what had happened to him, to which his brother replied that he had wanted to kill himself and he had done a 'horrendous thing'. 'He said when he was stabbing himself, there was a girl running or exercising, she went towards him,' the accused told gardaí. 'She said: 'What are you doing? Don't do it, you are too young.' He said to her, 'Leave me alone, it's my life, my business.'' Ashling Murphy (pictured) died having suffered 12 sharp force injuries to her neck, 11 of which were stab wounds. File picture: Facebook The accused said that Jozef 'probably wanted to push her away to leave him alone', but he thought that Jozef 'cut her with the knife'. After telling the gardaí this, the accused said it had been 'very heavy, very hard to say'. 'I never said anything like that in my life,' said the accused. He told gardaí that he could not believe what his brother was telling him, so he asked him again what he had done. He said that Jozef told him: 'I don't know whether I hurt her so much, but I think I did... it must have been an accident, I didn't want to do this, but I just switched my hand as she was coming near me.' The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents immediately what he had done, to which Jozef said that he would tell them but only after they brought him to Dublin. The accused said he told his brother to tell their parents everything and 'don't make any secrets'. Further interviews In a further interview, the accused told gardaí that he thought Jozef had his clothes in the bathroom with him. When asked if anyone removed those clothes, he said that he did not know. Detective Garda Joanne O'Sullivan gave evidence to prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC of the accused's next interview with gardaí, conducted on January 26, 2022. In this interview, it was put to the accused that someone had asked his wife to move Josef's clothes and put them beside the bin. 'I don't know who it was, it wasn't me,' replied the accused. In a further interview on January 27, 2022, it was put to the accused that when he knew Jozef had murdered Ms Murphy, he 'bundled him up and sent him to Dublin' before giving instructions to dispose of the clothes. The accused denied this and also denied that he had asked anyone to dispose of the knife. The trial continues on Thursday before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.
RTÉ News
22-05-2025
- RTÉ News
Gardaí sifted through fireplace ashes at Puska home, trial hears
The trial of four of Jozef Puska's family members, who are accused of withholding information, has heard of how gardaí sifted through ashes in the fireplace at his home looking for evidence the clothes he wore when he murdered Ashling Murphy had been burned. Detective Sergeant Anthony Quinn told the trial of Jozef Puska's two brothers, and sisters-in-law, that six days after Jozef Puska murdered Ms Murphy, gardaí became aware that the then suspect's clothes may have been burned in the fireplace at the Puska home in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Det Sgt Quinn told the Central Criminal Court he went to the house with a colleague, introduced himself and took photos of anything of note. He said the fireplace was intact and the grate was full of ashes. He and his colleague sifted through the ashes, looking for buttons, zippers, clasps or "that kind of thing", but found nothing of note. They bagged the ashes to be preserved for forensic examination. Jozef's brothers, Marek, aged 34 and Lubomir Jnr, aged 35, are accused of withholding crucial information. It is alleged that Marek Puska failed to disclose that Jozef had returned home on the night of Ashling's murder with visible injuries and admitted to killing or causing serious injury to a woman. It is further alleged that he knew of the arrangement to burn Jozef's clothes and that Jozef Puska travelled to Dublin later that night. It is alleged that Lubomir Puska Jnr also withheld that Jozef returned home with visible injuries, admitted to "cutting a female", and travelled to Dublin. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988. Jozefina Grundzova, aged 31, who is married to Marek Puska, and 38-year-old Viera Gaziova, who is married to Lubomir Puska Jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between 12 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. All the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly. The trial also heard today from eyewitness Jenna Stack, who saw Ms Murphy, a 23-year-old schoolteacher, fighting for her life having suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck. Ms Stack told prosecution counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC that she was running with her friend, Aoife Marron, along the canal towpath near Cappincur Bridge in Tullamore on 12 January 2022 when she noticed a distinctive, luminous green bicycle in the hedgerow. She thought it unusual to see a nice bike discarded on the bank, so she stopped for a moment before running on. A few metres further along the towpath, she heard a loud rustling noise from the hedgerow and stopped again. Ms Marron shouted down, but there was no reply besides the "loud rustling" from the dense thicket and brambles, Ms Stack said. The witness stepped closer and saw a man's back. She asked him what he was doing, and when he turned to face her, she noticed a woman on the ground. Ms Stack said: "She was kicking her legs, that was the sound we had heard. She was raising her legs and kicking out really hard." Ms Stack told the man to "get off her", but he shouted back through gritted teeth and in a foreign accent, "get away". His facial expression seemed angry, she said, "angry that he had been interrupted". Ms Stack thought he was going to rape the woman. She added: "He made a sudden movement, maybe to frighten us. I knew the girl was struggling and in danger and we were very frightened." Ms Stack shouted that she was calling the guards and ran the short distance to Cappincur Bridge with Ms Marron to get help. The trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.
RTÉ News
20-05-2025
- RTÉ News
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.
