Evil Jozef Puska handed ‘wholly deserved’ life sentence for murder of Ashling Murphy, 23, in frenzied canal attack
JOZEF Puska would have received "whole life order" if it was open to the court, a judge has told him he jailed him for life for murdering Ashling Murphy.
The 33-year-old, from Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly, was convicted eight days ago following a three-week trial.
He had denied stabbing the schoolteacher 11 times in the neck in a horrific attack along the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Co Offaly on January 12, 2022.
In powerful victim impact evidence today, her boyfriend Ryan Casey described her murder as "horrific and senseless", calling Puska "a pure evil, lowest of the low, waste of space".
Ryan told the court that it doesn't make sense to him that someone "so insignificant, the lowest of the low, a burden to society, can completely destroy so many lives by taking a person who is the complete opposite."
He described Ashling's warmth, compassion, respect and detailed their plans for the future - to get married, build a home together and raise a family.
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Casey turned towards Puska to tell him: "I don’t care where you end up, nor what happens to you after today.
"You smirked, smiled and showed zero remorse during your trial which sums you up as the person you really are, the epitome of pure evil.
"But you will never ever harm or touch another woman ever again... when your day of reckoning comes, may you be in hell a whole half hour before god even knows you are dead."
'ENORMOUSLY ENRICHED'
Amy told the hushed courtroom that their lives were "enormously enriched because of Ashling," who she described as charismatic and compassionate with an infectious laugh.
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She said: "She never sought to be the centre of attention but she could strike up a conversation with anyone and make everyone feel they had a friend in her."
Detective Garda Lucy McLoughlin got emotional as she read out a brief victim impact statement from Ashling's mother Kathleen Murphy.
After the speeches were completed, Mr Justice Tony Hunt told Puska that there is only one sentence to hand down, which he said is "richly deserved".
He lamented that he does not have the power to impose a minimum period to be served and said if he had the power, a whole life-term would have to be considered in this case.
He said that before Puska is considered for release the person making that decision would have to take into account that we still don't know why Puska murdered Ashling.
Mr Justice Hunt concluded by saying, "very well, you may take him away," before six prison officers led Puska to the cell area.
'MONSTROUS CRIME'
Outside the court, a senior Garda officer praised Ashling's family for showing "courage, dignity and resilience" during the trial of her murderer.
Garda Chief Superintendent Tony Lonergan said: "Ashling, a school teacher, was out for a walk after work when she was attacked and murdered by Mr Puska.
"This monstrous crime shocked the nation.
"I want to pay tribute to all the members of An Garda Siochana involved in this investigation, and in particular my colleagues at Tullamore garda station where the investigation was based.
"The investigation team were professional and steadfast in their determination that the person responsible for Ashling's murder would be brought to justice.
"I also want to thank the community of Tullamore, a compassionate, kind, resilient and generous community. They were of invaluable assistance to An Garda Siochana throughout this investigation, providing us in particular with access to CCTV which was instrumental in building the case against Mr Puska, and to achieving a successful prosecution.
"The community also has and continues to support Ashling's family.
"Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Ashling's famly … the courage, the dignity, the resilience and the strength that they are showing during this ordeal has been exemplary.
"I want to assure them on behalf of An Garda Siochana that we will continue to support them going forward and give them all the support we can where necessary."
CCTV FOOTAGE
Puska was placed at the scene by the presence of his distinctive green and black bicycle a few feet from Ashling's body.
He had been captured on CCTV cycling the same bicycle around Tullamore earlier that afternoon, following two women before heading towards the canal where he isolated Ashling Murphy, who was walking alone.
Puska's DNA was found on the bike as was his fingerprint and his DNA was under Ashling's fingernails.
The prosecution argued that the DNA under the nails showed that Ashling had scratched her attacker as she tried to save her own life.
When gardai spoke to Puska the day after the murder his face and hands were covered in scratches that were consistent with him crawling through the thorns and briars by the side of the towpath where he murdered Ashling.
TESTIMONY
In his testimony to the trial, Puska claimed that he was cycling along the towpath when he was attacked and stabbed by a masked man.
He claimed the same man then attacked and stabbed Ashling before running away.
In what prosecution counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC described as a "foul and contemptible fabrication", Puska claimed that he then tried to help Ashling by pulling her scarf up around the wound to her neck.
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He said that he realised he couldn't help her and crawled through the briars to an adjoining field where he fell unconscious for about four hours.
The jury rejected his version of events. No motive has been offered for the killing and lawyers in the case and Ashling's family have stressed repeatedly that there was no connection between Puska and Ashling, despite internet rumours of a connection.
