Gardai 'sifted through ashes' in killer's home during Ashling Murphy murder investigation

by Eoin Reynolds

The trial of four of Jozef Puska's family members was told today (Thursday) that Gardai sifted through ashes in the fireplace at Puska's home looking for evidence that the clothes he wore when he murdered Ashling Murphy had been burned.

The Central Criminal Court also heard an eyewitness tell of how the 23-year-old Offaly school teacher was "kicking out hard" as she struggled with her murderer, who seemed angry he'd been "interrupted".

Detective Sgt Anthony Quinn told the trial of Jozef Puska's brothers and sisters-in-law that, six days after Jozef Puska murdered Ashling Murphy, Gardai became aware that the then-suspect's clothes may have been burned in the fireplace at the Puska home in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Offaly.

Sgt Quinn said he went to the house with a colleague, introduced himself, and took photos of anything of note.

The fireplace, he said, 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.

The trial also heard today from Jenna Stack, who saw Ms Murphy 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 January 12, 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.

Jozef's brothers, Marek (34) and Lubomir Jnr (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 Murphy'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.

Lubomir Puska Jnr, it is alleged, 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 (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.

Ms Grundzova and Ms Gaziova pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997.

Each of the accused have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Offaly.

The trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.