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Four accused of misleading gardaí in Aisling Murphy probe

(L-R) Lubomir Puska, Viera Gaziova, Marek Puska, and Jozefina Grundzova appeared in court today
(L-R) Lubomir Puska, Viera Gaziova, Marek Puska, and Jozefina Grundzova appeared in court today

Two brothers and their wives have been accused of misleading gardaí investigating the murder of schoolteacher Aisling Murphy in Tullamore, Co Offaly three years ago.

The family members of Josef Puska, who has been convicted of murdering the 23 year old, are on trial accused of withholding information and assisting him.

Brothers Marek and Lubomir Puska and their wives Jozefina Grundzova and Viera Gaziova with addresses in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly, have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Ms Murphy was attacked by Marek and Lubomir's brother, Josef Puska, while jogging along the canal in Tullamore on 12 January 2022.

23-year-old Ashling Murphy was murdered by Jozef Puska in Tullamore in January 2022

Marek and Lubomir Puska are accused of not disclosing to gardaí that their brother returned home with visible injuries that day or told them he had hurt or killed a woman with a knife or had gone to Dublin that evening.

Their wives are accused of burning the clothes Josef Puska was wearing.

Opening the case, prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane, SC, told the jury that Josef Puska had been captured on CCTV footage on a bicycle in the town before stabbing Ms Murphy 11 times to the side of her neck.

He then fled when two passersby noticed a woman struggling and in distress, shouted out and called the emergency services.

The jury heard that a garda investigation was launched to apprehend Ms Murphy’s attacker and Mr Gillane said information was "oxygen" to that investigation.

He said Josef Puska’s DNA was found on a bicycle found near the scene and under Ms Murphy’s fingernails.

He said an acquaintance of Josef Puska gave him a lift to the house where he lived with his brothers and their families.

The jury was told at the "core of this case" is what Josef Puska said while in the house that night before he went to his parent’s house in Crumlin in Dublin.

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The court heard that the following day an ambulance was called to take Josef Puska to hospital, and he was captured on CCTV clean shaven and wearing different clothing to the day before.

Josef Puska's brothers and their wives gave statements to gardaí in Tullamore Garda Station.

Mr Gillane said they "effectively misled gardaí and failed to disclose crucial information".

He said gardaí spoke with them on a number of occasions about inconsistencies in their statements.

The court heard that there was evidence Josef Puska had changed his clothes and gardaí could not find the clothes he had worn on the day he attacked Ms Murphy because the women had burned them.

CCTV footage from cameras around Tullamore were shown to the jury in the afternoon showing the movements of Josef Puska and Ms Murphy.

Puska can be seen calling to the house of an acquaintance at around 9pm "shaking, nearly blue" and dirty with scratch marks and "bleeding from the head".

He asked for a lift home to Mucklagh in Tullamore.

Footage was also shown of around 1am arriving at his parents' house in Crumlin wearing different clothing to that he was seen in earlier and with a beard.

Then he can be seen being wheeled out of the house the following day by a paramedic and put into an ambulance and taken to St James’s Hospital.

He is clean shaven in the footage.

The trial will continue before seven men and five women on Thursday.