Latest news with #TullamoreDistrictCourt
Sunday World
01-06-2025
- Sunday World
Puppy farmer locked up after dogs he was ordered to give up ‘disappeared'
She said the council had not seized the dogs and had no knowledge as to their current whereabouts. A puppy farmer has been jailed for three months after three dogs, a Belgian Malinois, a Collie and a Shih Tzu he was ordered to surrender 'disappeared.' Dog Breeder PJ Rigney appeared before Tullamore District Court on Wednesday a week after he had been remanded in custody by Judge Andrew Cody for failing to surrender the animals. At the sitting, Judge Cody expressed surprise that Rigney, was present in person before the court. The judge asked Rigney's solicitor how his client had managed to secure his freedom. PJ Rigney Rigney's solicitor responded that the High Court granted his release on foot of an application by Barry White SC. Judge Cody responded: 'It is quite unusual that a person would be remanded in custody pending sentence.' Judge Cody next inquired if Rigney had complied with a previous court order which required him to sign over ownership of three dogs that were found at his property to the local authority or a rescue organisation. The solicitor said Rigney had been unable to do so as the three dogs had 'disappeared.' Judge Cody then asked 'where the three dogs had disappeared to' and whether Rigney had filed a complaint with gardai. The solicitor responded that Rigney had not alerted the gardai but had called Offaly County Council in the belief the council had seized the dogs. Solicitor Emily Mahon, acting on behalf of Offaly County Council, confirmed they had received such a call from Rigney but said the council had no knowledge of the matter. She said the council had not seized the dogs and had no knowledge as to their current whereabouts. The solicitor then requested that Mr Rigney be ordered to pay a fine of €3,600 and be disqualified for life from owning dogs. Rigney's solicitor argued that this sentence would be unduly harsh. He further claimed that the three dogs were Mr Rigney's elderly mother's pets and she had been consistently asking 'where her dogs ' were in the wake of their disappearance. Opposing a ban on keeping dogs he said Rigney lived in a rural area and needed dogs for protection and farming. He claimed that Mr Rigney was a 'man of limited means' and as a result any fine would likely 'remain unpaid. Judge Cody responded that Rigney had a 'rental property from which he derived a rental income' so this could be drawn upon to settle any court order fine. This rental was used to pay Rigney's 'significant debts' defence replied. Judge Cody sentenced Mr Rigney to three months in jail, disqualified him from keeping dogs for life and ordered him to pay a fine of €3,600 to Offaly County Council. Rigney lodged an appeal to the sentence. PJ Rigney News in 90 Seconds - June 1st In October of 2021, Rigney was served with a closure notice alleged he had been illegally running a dog-breeding establishment, housing dogs in substandard accommodation, in a yard off Circular Road, in Daingean, Offaly. According to a closure order published by the Council on October 1st that year Mr Rigney was not registered to run such a facility. Outlining the grounds on which he considered Mr Rigney's operation "poses a serious and immediate threat to animal welfare", Offaly County Council Veterinary Inspector Aidan Grant wrote: "The premises in which the dogs are kept and management of same are far below required of a registered dog-breeding establishment.' Mr. Rigney was subsequently convicted and fined in the District Court. He subsequently appealed that order but the order was upheld.
The Journal
28-04-2025
- The Journal
Wife and brothers of Jozef Puska in court today over failure to disclose information to gardaí
THE WIFE AND two brothers of convicted murderer Jozef Puska are due to appear before the Central Criminal Court today, facing charges connected to the investigation into the killing of Ashling Murphy. Murphy, a 23-year-old primary school teacher, was fatally stabbed 11 times in the neck by Jozef Puska while out for an afternoon run in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on 12 January 2022. Slovakian native Puska was found guilty of the murder following an 18-day trial at the Central Criminal Court in November 2023, and is currently serving a mandatory life sentenc. Puska's wife, 34-year-old Lucia Istokova, along with his brothers, 34-year-old Marek Puska and 35-year-old Lubomir Puska, stand accused of withholding information that may have helped secure the arrest, prosecution or conviction of Jozef Puska in January 2022. Advertisement They are set to appear before Judge Paul McDermott in the Central Criminal Court this morning. Two other women have also been charged in connection with the same case, but with separate offences. Jozefina Grundzova, 31, and Viera Gazoiva, 38, are charged with impeding the apprehension of Jozef Puska between 12 and 14 January 2022. These offences are said to have taken place at an address in Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly. All five were granted free legal aid when the trial date was originally set in January 2024, and have been on bail since first appearing before Tullamore District Court in December 2023. Their trials are expected to last up to four weeks and will be heard together. 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
Irish Daily Mirror
27-04-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Wife and brothers of killer Jozef Puska to go on trial tomorrow
The wife and brothers of murderer Jozef Puska are scheduled to go on trial tomorrow over allegedly withholding information that could have led to his prosecution. Marek, 34, and Lubomir Puska, 35, are charged with withholding information that could have led to the arrest or prosecution of their brother Jozef Puska for the murder of 23-year-old schoolteacher Ashling Murphy in January 2022. Puska's wife Lucia Istokova, 34, is also charged with withholding information on a date unknown between January 12, 2022 and January 27, 2022 at Tullamore Garda Station. All three are accused of failing without reasonable excuse to disclose as soon as was practicable to a member of An Garda Siochana information which they are alleged to have known or believed might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of Jozef Puska for the murder of Ashling Murphy. The offences are contrary to Section 9 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. The trio are set to appear before Judge Paul McDermott in the Central Criminal Court on Monday morning. They have all been on bail since being charged and first appearing before Tullamore District Court in December 2023. Jozef Puska is currently serving a life sentence for Ms Murphy's murder after a lengthy and highly publicised trial in 2023. Two other women have also been charged in connection with the same case - but with separate offences. Jozefina Grundzova, 31, and Viera Gazoiva, 38, are charged with impeding the apprehension of Jozef Puska. Both women are accused of committing the offence on a date unknown between January 12, 2022 and January 14, 2022 at an address in Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly. In particular where another person committed the murder of Ms Murphy, she's accused of knowing or believing that person to be guilty of the said offence or some other arrestable offence and without reasonable excuse acting with intent to impede that person's apprehension or prosecution. The offence is contrary to Section 7(2) and (4) of the Criminal Law Act, 1997. Jozef Puska brutally stabbed Ms Murphy 12 times and sliced her neck in a random and shocking attack while she was out for a run at the canal in Tullamore. His sentence came after harrowing and extremely powerful victim impact statements from Ms Murphy's partner Ryan Casey, her mother Kathleen, and sister Amy. Mr Casey became tearful and emotional throughout his powerful speech, in which he turned to the killer sitting in the dock and said: 'I don't care where you end up, or what happens to you after today. 'But you smirked, you smiled, and you showed zero remorse throughout this trail, which sums up who you really are, the epitome of pure evil, but one thing is for sure, you will never ever harm or touch another woman ever again and when your day of reckoning comes, may you be in hell a whole half hour before God even knows you're dead.' In her own victim impact statement, which was read out by family liaison officer Sergeant Lucy McLoughlin, Ashling's mother Kathleen told of a heartbreaking final conversation she had with her daughter on the day she was killed - warning her not to go running by the canal. 'Before she left that morning, Ashling told me she was going to be home from school a little bit later that afternoon. 'She was going for a jog on the canal line after work. I begged her not to go there as it has always made me feel ill at ease and asked her to go jogging out near home. 'She responded, 'Ah mum, I am 23 years old.' She gave me a big hug as she said, 'I love you, you're the best mum in the world,' and walked out the door,' she said. 'As a parent you want your child to go out into this world and live a full and meaningful life yet being acutely aware of how fragile their safety is, wanting to protect them. I couldn't protect my darling Ashling and now she's gone forever.' Ashling's sister Amy said she was haunted by the thought that no one was able to save her sister - and how she fought for her life. Speaking directly to Puska, who refused to look at her, she said: 'I agonise over whether you had already inflicted your first blow before she was hurled off the canal pavement. 'Had you time to place your bike down into the ditch as you knew she had already sustained a fatal injury and the rest was yet to come. 'Ashling's last 10 minutes on this earth must have felt like the longest 10 minutes of her existence as she fought for her life. You stole her life, you took her voice, you robbed us of our family of five.' Following the incredible statements, Judge Tony Hunt said there was nothing further that he could add. He told the court that Puska's sentence was 'richly deserved' before saying that the one question that remains unanswered is 'the why.' He said that "unless that becomes known, the question of your safe return to society must be an open one."
