Murder accused told gardaí he 'never saw' Ashling Murphy, trial hears
Eoin Reynolds
The man on trial accused of murdering school teacher Ashling Murphy told gardaí he had never seen Ms Murphy before when he was questioned by detectives six days after she was stabbed to death.
"I don't know anything about that," Jozef Puska said when asked if he knew about Ashling's murder, adding that he had not read anything about it.
"I look at the news, but don't speak English, can't understand it," he said.
It is the prosecution's case that four days before this interview, while in a bed at St James's Hospital in Dublin, Mr Puska admitted to murdering Ashling Murphy by saying: "I did it, I murdered, I am the murderer" and by telling another garda that he "cut" Ashling.
Jozef Puska (33), with an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore, Co Offaly on January 12th, 2022.
Det Gda Colin O'Leary told prosecution counsel, Kevin White BL, that gardaí interviewed Mr Puska five times over two days following his arrest on suspicion of Ms Murphy's murder on January 18th, 2022.
During the second interview, Mr Puska spoke to Det Gda Padhraic Hanley and Det Sgt Maria Cassells.
Gda O'Leary confirmed that Mr Puska said, "I don't know" when the detectives asked if he knew where Ms Murphy was murdered.
He added that when they showed Mr Puska a photo of Ms Murphy and said she had her "whole life ahead of her", the accused replied: "I didn't see her, I don't know her."
One garda pointed out that her funeral was happening that day, to which Mr Puska replied: "I don't know anything."
A garda told Mr Puska that this was his "chance to tell", and the accused again replied: "I don't know anything."
A garda told him: "You know where you were that day" and asked if he had ever met Ashling Murphy, who was "brutally murdered" on January 12th.
Mr Puska responded: "I never saw her. First on this picture."
During Thursday morning's hearing, Det Superintendent Pat O'Callaghan confirmed to Mr Puska's defence counsel, Michael Bowman SC, that the garda press office received an email the day before Mr Puska was arrested from someone saying: "I am the person responsible for Ashling's murder. I was in Tullamore that evening and have the black tracksuit. I'm so sorry."
The email was received at 10.44pm and forwarded to the incident room in Tullamore.
Det Supt O'Callaghan said gardaí identified where the email came from and spoke to the person to whom the email account belonged.
The person indicated that he suffered from mental health problems, drinks too much and has little recollection of what he does when drunk.
He was shown the email but said he could not remember sending it, adding that he must have been drunk and he apologised.
Det Supt O'Callaghan told Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, for the prosecution, that the man in question has "significant mental health issues" and when asked why he claimed to have murdered Ms Murphy, he said he was "sick" and "an idiot".
He told detectives: "I'm very sorry, I shouldn't be on the internet after drinking. I didn't murder her, I'm not capable of it, I'm sorry."
Det Supt O'Callaghan confirmed that gardaí investigated the matter further and were satisfied that the man had "nothing whatsoever to do with" what happened to Ms Murphy.
The trial continues on Thursday afternoon in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of nine men and three women.
