Central Criminal Court Hears Claims Jozef Puska Was Trying To Help Ashling Murphy

Wednesday, 18 October 2023 12:53

A number of witnesses have been giving evidence today.

A woman has told the Ashling Murphy murder trial she saw a man crouching over a woman on the day she was killed, and was told "get away".

33-year-old Jozef Puska, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Offaly, denies murdering the school teacher on January 12th, 2022.

Jenna Stack was called as a witness this morning, and told the court she was going for a run with her friend along the Grand Canal on the date Ashling Murphy died.

There they saw a bicycle, in a hedgerow, which she thought was an unusual place for a bike to be.

She said in close proximity to that they came across a man crouched over a woman, who was kicking her legs high in the air.

Ms. Stack told the court she asked what are you doing, and the man said in a foreign accent 'get away', and she threatened to call the Gardaí despite not having her phone with her

She said she couldn't see the girl, and she and her friend ran to get help - with her friend eventually calling into a house to ask for Gardaí to be contacted.

Under cross examination, Defense barrister Michael Bowman asked if it was possible that Mr. Puska was assisting Ms. Murphy when Ms. Stack saw them.

She said that wasn't her impression, adding that he could have asked for help.

Mr. Bowman put it to Ms. Stack that Ashling Murphy had reached out and was holding Mr. Puzka's forearms because he was stopping bleeding on her neck.

Ms. Stack said "No, I knew there was something wrong – I could tell by her" - before Ms. Stack admitted to being 'terrified'.

The court also heard from a man who discovered Ms. Murphy's body on the day she died.

Enda Molloy was the first person to see her laying in a hedgerow after the alleged attack.

He described her as ‘motionless’ and said he got down to shout to get her attention, but he got no response.

Mr. Molloy went down to the area along the Grand Canal in Tullamore, after two women, who also gave evidence today, said they saw a man attacking a woman.

Ms. Marron, who had been out running with her friend Jenna Stack, also gave evidence this afternoon, and she said she saw the top of a man’s head, but agreed that she didn’t have a great view of what was in the hedgerow.