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- Jozef Puska, 33, was found guilty of murdering Ms Murphy by jury last week
The ‘monster’ who murdered schoolteacher Ashling Murphy has today been jailed for life after he was found guilty of stabbing her to death in Ireland last year.
Ms Murphy, 23, was repeatedly stabbed by 33-year-old Jozef Puska as she went jogging on a canal path in the County Offaly town of Tullamore on the afternoon of January 12, 2022.
Puska, a married father of five who came to Ireland from Slovakia in 2015, had pleaded not guilty to her murder. But a jury of nine men and three women quickly reached a unanimous guilty verdict at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin last week.
During today’s sentencing hearing, her devastated boyfriend of six years, Ryan Casey, turned to Puska as he said: ‘Because of you, I will never get to marry my soulmate’.
Mr Casey said Puska ‘smirked and smiled’ during a harrowing three week trial, adding: ‘You showed no remorse which sums up the kind of person you are, the epitome of evil.’
Ms Murphy’s heartbroken mother said her daughter was ‘one in a million’ and her murder has left ‘such a void in our home, I can’t bear it.’ Mrs Murphy said Puska should never see the light of day again as she described how her ‘heart was ripped’ from her body the moment she learned her daughter had been murdered.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt, after hearing hours of emotional testimony from Ms Murphy’s family, handed Puska a mandatory life sentence for her murder, saying it was ‘deserved’.
He said Puska’s evidence had been ‘indescribable’ and the ‘one thing we don’t know about this case is the why’.
During today’s sentencing hearing, her devastated boyfriend of six years, Ryan Casey (pictured together) turned to Puska as he said: ‘Because of you, I will never get to marry my soulmate’
Jozef Puska, of Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, Tullamore, had pleaded not guilty to her murder at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. He was jailed today for life
Ashling Murphy, 23, was killed by 33-year-old Jozef Puska in the County Offaly town of Tullamore while exercising on a canal path on the afternoon of January 12, 2022
Following his guilty verdict last Thursday, Ms Murphy’s heartbroken family (her brother Cathal, centre, mother Kathleen left, father Raymond, right) stood outside the court, overcome with emotion after listening to three weeks of harrowing evidence
Following Puska’s life sentence today, Garda Chief Superintendent Tony Lonergan (left with Superintendent Eamon Curley outside Central Criminal Court in Dublin today) praised Ms Murphy’s family for showing ‘courage, dignity and resilience’ during the trial
Her devastated partner Mr Casey was in tears as he read out his victim impact statement to the court today in front of Ms Murphy’s family and friends. He told how the couple, who had been together since 2016, had talked about their plans to marry and have children.
Turning to Puska, Mr Casey said: ‘You have no idea and will never have any idea of the level of connection and love Ashling and I shared.
‘Because of you I have lost my Ashling, because of you, I will never get to marry my soulmate, because of you I will never see her smile again, because of you I have to somehow carry on without her.’
‘You smirked, you smiled and you showed no remorse which sums up the kind of person you are, the epitome of pure evil,’ Mr Casey said in tears.
He said it did not make sense to him that someone could ‘completely and permanently destroy someone… who is the complete opposite’, describing Ms Murphy as ‘a light with dreams, compassion, respect, a person who contributes to society in the best way possible’.
The couple met at a disco when Mr Casey was 15 but they broke up in 2014 because they were so young. The two youngsters still kept in touch and in late 2016 they rekindled their romance, with Mr Casey giving Ms Murphy a watch which she never took off. Her mother now wears the watch following her daughter’s murder.
Mr Casey said in the six years together they had talked about how many children they would have, and imagined they would be ‘little hurlers and camogie players and even better – musicians’.
Mr Casey said their relationship was ‘full with love, trust respect’ and ‘was quite simply heaven on earth’.
Her mother Kathleen said her ‘heart broke the moment I heard the bad news Ashling was murdered’ in a victim impact statement read out in court.
Mrs Murphy said that before her daughter left the house for a job the day she was murdered, she had begged her not to go along the canal, to which Ms Murphy replied ‘Ah mum, I’m 23 years old’ before giving her mother a hug.
She gave her ‘a big hug and said ‘I love you, you’re the best mum in the world’ and walked out the door’, the court heard.
Ms Murphy’s older sister Amy Murphy described the 23-year-old as a gifted musician, a passionate teacher, a selfless member of the community and an integral part of their family.
‘This country has lost somebody who made a difference,’ Amy Murphy said.
Amy told Puska that he had told a ‘ludicrous set of lies’, and that by pleading not guilty her family had to sit through the evidence of the trial, which she said had ‘traumatised’ the family.
She said their nightmare was ‘replayed’ through CCTV, witnesses’ testimonies, descriptions of her wounds, and said that Ashling’s blood-soaked GAA jacket, shown in court during the trial, will ‘haunt me for the rest of my days’.
‘We were totally disturbed by Puska’s demeanour,’ she said, adding that he appeared to smirk and smile during evidence.
She said that in the wake of her sister’s murder, deliveries for her arrived and still lie unopened on her bed. ‘We will never be the same,’ she said.
During the trial, the jury heard more than three weeks of evidence, which the prosecution described as ‘overwhelming’.
They were told that Puska had stabbed the young woman 11 times with a knife on the right side of her neck. The stab wounds damaged her right and left jugular veins, her voice box and her right carotid artery, a post-mortem examination found.
Her wounds caused acute blood loss and stopped her heart.
Wearing the top of her beloved GAA camogie club Kilcormac Killoughey, Ms Murphy had been out exercising on the sunny January afternoon and had covered 2 miles when she was randomly attacked by Puska, a man she had no connection with.
The 23-year-old’s fitness tracking app was still on when she was found fatally injured in thick undergrowth in a ditch by the canal path.
A necklace with the name Ashling hung around her neck.
Her Fitbit smartwatch recorded a sudden erratic movement at 3.21pm, the moment Puska struck.
Forensic teams lifted a fingerprint and a DNA sample belonging to Puska from a bicycle found near Ms Murphy’s body.
Male DNA found under her fingernails also matched two samples taken from the 33-year-old killer.
The trial also heard that on January 14, two days after Ms Murphy was found dead, Puska admitted to killing her from his hospital bed in Dublin.
Ashling Murphy with her boyfriend Ryan Casey
The death of 23-year-old Ashling Murphy sent shockwaves around Ireland and beyond
Jozef Puska, 31, is led in to Tullamore District Court where he is charged with the murder of Irish teacher Ashling Murphy on January 19 2022
The brother of murdered teacher Ashling Murphy, Cathal (left), her sister Amy (centre) and boyfriend Ryan Casey (right) condemned ‘predator’ Jozef Puska after he was found guilty of murder last week. He was sentenced to life in prison today
A map showing where Ms Murphy’s body was found along the Grand Canal way, also known as Fiona’s Way. The route is named in memory of missing woman Fiona Pender – who is commemorated to her in a monument in Tullamore
Forensic teams search the murder scene where 23-year-old Ashling Murphy was killed on the Cappincur Canal towpath while out jogging in Tullamore, Ireland
Following Puska’s life sentence today, Garda Chief Superintendent Tony Lonergan praised Ms Murphy’s family for showing ‘courage, dignity and resilience’ during the trial.
‘Ashling, a school teacher, was out for a walk after work when she was attacked and murdered by Mr Puska,’ he said. ‘This monstrous crime shocked the nation.’
‘I want to pay tribute to all the members of An Garda Siochana involved in this investigation, and in particular my colleagues at Tullamore garda station where the investigation was based.
‘The investigation team were professional and steadfast in their determination that the person responsible for Ashling’s murder would be brought to justice.
‘I also want to thank the community of Tullamore, a compassionate, kind, resilient and generous community. They were of invaluable assistance to An Garda Siochana throughout this investigation, providing us in particular with access to CCTV which was instrumental in building the case against Mr Puska, and to achieving a successful prosecution.
‘The community also has and continues to support Ashling’s family.
‘Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Ashling’s famly … the courage, the dignity, the resilience and the strength that they are showing during this ordeal has been exemplary.
‘I want to assure them on behalf of An Garda Siochana that we will continue to support them going forward and give them all the support we can where necessary.’
Following Puska’s guilty verdict last Thursday, Ms Murphy’s heartbroken family stood outside the court, overcome with emotion after listening to three weeks of harrowing evidence.
Her brother Cathal, shaking with emotion and standing in front of his tearful parents Kathleen and Raymond, said at the time his ‘darling’ sister was subjected to ‘incomprehensible violence by a predator’.
He said it was ‘imperative’ that Puska, who he described as a ‘vicious monster’, ‘can never harm another woman again’.
Ms Murphy’s boyfriend Ryan Casey choked back tears after the guilty verdict was reached last week as he described the school teacher as a ‘vibrant, intelligent and highly-motivated woman’ who was a ‘shining light in their community’.
After Puska was found guilty, the judge, Mr Justice Tony Hunt, told the jury: ‘We have evil in this room.’
Cathal, flanked by his parents and sister Amy, said last week that while the judicial process ‘can’t bring our darling Ashling back nor heal our wounds’ his family were ‘relieved’ by the guilty verdict.
He said: ‘We would like to thank the members of the jury for reaching this verdict. Sitting through the harrowing evidence of this trial was not an easy task and we’ll be forever grateful for their patience and resilience throughout this incredibly difficult process.
‘Ashling was subjected to incomprehensible violence by a predator who was not known to her. While we do not glory in any conviction, we recognise the importance of holding accountable those who would commit such terrible atrocities.
‘The judicial process cannot bring our darling Ashling back, nor can it heal our wounds, but we are relieved that this verdict delivers justice.
‘It is simply imperative that this vicious monster can never harm another woman again.’
The mother of murdered teacher Ashling Murphy, Kathleen, stands outside court as her son, Cathal, issues a statement to the media following Puska’s guilty verdict last week
The jury also heard evidence from a woman who had been jogging along the canal on January 12, 2022, at the same time as Ms Murphy. Pictured: Family photos of Ashling released on her funeral
During the trial, the jury heard more than three weeks of evidence, which the prosecution described as ‘overwhelming’
Touching photos of Ashling from through her life were displayed by her family to mourners at her funeral
The trial also heard that on January 14, two days after Ms Murphy was found dead, Puska admitted to killing her from his hospital bed in Dublin.
He had been brought to the hospital on January 13 with injuries to his stomach which he claimed were a result of being stabbed in Blanchardstown the day before by a man – a claim that he later admitted was a lie.
He underwent exploratory surgery but his wounds were not found to be serious.
According to Detective Sergeant Brian Jennings, Puska made his admission at 6pm the following day through an interpreter after being told he was a ‘person of interest’ in a murder investigation.
DS Jennings said Puska told him: ‘I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer.’
According to The Irish Times, Detective Garda Fergus Hogan said Puska told him minutes later in English: ‘I’m sorry, I see girl I never see before. Knife I use for chain. When she pass, I cut her, I cut her neck, she panic, I panic.’
The trial also heard that on January 14, two days after Ms Murphy was found dead, Puska admitted to killing her from his hospital bed in Dublin. Pictured: Ms Murphy as a child
The prosecution has argued that the man seen in the CCTV footage is Jozef Puska, 33, who was charged with the murder of Ms Murphy. (Pictured: CCTV still)
A court artist’s illustration of Jozef Puska, 33, (left) being questioned by his barrister Michael Bowman SC (right) at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, where he has been found guilty of killing teacher Ashling Murphy, who was murdered while exercising on January 12, 2022
Mr Hogan said the killer was upset and crying and said he was sorry, asking: ‘Will I go for ten years?’ He then pointed to his abdomen and told him: ‘I did this.’
Puska later said he did not recall making the statement and told police he did not ‘know anything’ about the murder while being interviewed.
The Slovakian, who admitted lying to officers on multiple occasions, had told the court that he had tried to help Ms Murphy after they were both attacked by a masked man.
It was prosecuting barrister Anne-Marie Lawlor’s case that there was no other man involved in the killing on Ms Murphy, as Puska claimed.
The jury also heard evidence from a woman who had been jogging along the canal on January 12, 2022, at the same time as Ms Murphy.
She told the court she had seen a man in a hedgerow who seemed to be crouched over a person who was kicking out ‘like she was crying out for help’.
Last week, the judge thanked the jury for their service after they delivered their guilty verdict, saying the killing was particularly difficult given ‘the kind of person that she obviously was’.
The death of the 23-year-old sent shockwaves around Ireland and beyond.
Pictured: Photos of Ashling from through the years that her family displayed to mourners at her funeral
The death of the 23-year-old sent shockwaves around Ireland and beyond
The indiscriminate stabbing of a young woman who was simply out for some exercise resonated across the globe
The judge said the primary school teacher loved children and her GAA top showed her love of sport, particularly camogie, an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women
The indiscriminate stabbing of a young woman who was simply out for some exercise resonated across the globe.
Emotional scenes at vigils in Tullamore, Dublin and other towns and cities on the island of Ireland were replicated in Britain, and as far away as New York and Melbourne as thousands gathered to pay tribute and express revulsion at the killing.
The judge said the primary school teacher loved children and her GAA top showed her love of sport, particularly camogie, an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women.
He told the court that to lose a child was unnatural. Speaking of her family, he said: ‘Their position is unenviable. How their child was taken away, to consider what happened here is enough to make you physically ill.’
The jury were applauded as they exited the chamber as Ms Murphy’s mother – who was dressed in black – held up a framed photograph of her daughter.
The judge said he had asked for silence but said the applause was ‘understandable’.
He said the prompt verdict reflected that it was a straightforward case.
He added that he agreed with the verdict and was satisfied it was correct, adding that he was glad the jury didn’t spent any more time than they needed to consider Mr Puska’s ‘nonsense’.
‘Quite literally, you made sure nobody got away with murder,’ the judge said.
However, he said there was no doubt the case was ‘difficult and upsetting’.
Ms Murphy’s parents Kathleen and Ray, her sister Amy, brother Cathal and long-time boyfriend Ryan attended the three-week trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
They listened to horrific details of her final moments as Puska sat largely impassively in the dock.
Schoolchildren at Ms Ashling’s funeral held photos of her bearing the words: ‘Fly high in the sky, our shining light.’
Search: A Garda team at the crime scene at the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Co. Offaly
Mourners walked beside the hearse carrying the coffin of Ashling Murphy as the cortege arrived for her funeral at St Brigid’s Church on January 18, 2022
Pupils from Ashling Murphy’s class hold a photographs and a red roses during her funeral
Candles at a vigil in memory of Ms Murphy in Tullamore town park
Flowers and a note as a tribute for 23-year-old teacher Ms Murphy were laid outside Durrow National School where she taught in Tullamore, Ireland
Hundreds of people attended the vigil on January 14, 2022
Jozef Puska (grey top centre) is led to a police van after appearing at Tullamore District Court on December 20, 2022