UK: Man Sentenced To Life For Irish Teacher’s Murder

The man convicted of murdering schoolteacher Ashling Murphy has been handed a whole life sentence.

Jozef Puska, 33, from Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, County Offaly, was found guilty at a court in Dublin last week.

Puska attacked the 23-year-old as she jogged on the banks of the Grand Canal near Tullamore, County Offaly, on 12 January 2022.

She was stabbed 11 times in the neck.

A folk musician, Ms Murphy’s killing caused widespread shock, prompting vigils across Ireland and the UK.

Dressed in a grey suit with a white shirt and no tie, Puska made no comment or reaction when the sentence was handed down to him through a translator.

The court heard Puska and Ms Murphy were not known to each other and had never met before the attack.

Puska, a Slovak national, had pleaded not guilty to her murder.

He claimed he was trying to help Ms Murphy after she had been attacked by another man, who went on to stab him too.

The judge said Puska gave his confession “lucidly” and was “perfectly coherent” that afternoon.

He praised the Slovak translator who heard the confession, highlighting his “clarity and independence” when giving evidence and said it was fortunate he was present.

The court also heard that DNA evidence belonging to Puska was found under Ms Murphy’s fingernails.

One eyewitness said they had seen Mr Puska on top of Ms Murphy in a hedgerow with her legs kicking out underneath him.

When Puska saw the witness he shouted at her to go away, the court heard.

Puska, currently separated from other inmates at Cloverhill Prison for his own safety, will now be moved to Dublin’s Mountjoy prison.

He is undergoing psychiatric supervision after attempting to take his own life during the trial.

BBC