Jury in trial of Jozef Puska’s relatives to resume deliberations on Tuesday

by Alison O'Riordan

A jury will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow, Tuesday, to consider its verdicts in the trial of family members of Jozef Puska who are charged with offences relating to obstructing his arrest for the murder of school teacher Ashling Murphy.

The panel of seven men and five women began considering their verdict on Wednesday last week and have spent a total of 10 hours and five minutes deliberating in their jury room in the Criminal Courts of Justice building.

At 1.45pm today, presiding judge Ms Justice Caroline Biggs told the jurors she would let them go for the day after they had previously asked to cease their deliberations at an earlier time on Monday.

The 12 jurors will return to the Central Criminal Court to resume their deliberations at 11.30am on Tuesday morning.

Jozef Puska (35) murdered Ms Murphy (23) on January 12, 2022, by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore. He was later convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence.

His brothers, Lubomir Puska Jnr (38) and Marek Puska (36) are charged with withholding information from gardai.

Their wives, Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32) are charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska by burning his clothes.

All the accused were living with Jozef Puska, his wife Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly when the offences are alleged to have occurred in January 2022. All accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges.