Trial date set for wife and brothers of Jozef Puska

Paul Neilan

The wife of Jozef Puska and two of his brothers will go on trial next year, charged with failing to disclose information to gardaí investigating the murder of Ashling Murphy.

Ms Murphy, a 23-year-old primary school teacher, was stabbed 11 times in the neck by Puska while she was on an afternoon run in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on January 12th, 2022.

Last November, Puska, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly, was found guilty of her murder following a trial at the Central Criminal Court. He received the mandatory life sentence for the crime.

At the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, Ms Justice Karen O’Connor fixed April 28th, 2025, for the trial of the five accused.

The accused include Puska’s two brothers and wife.

Their trials are expected to last up to four weeks and will be heard together.

Puska’s brothers, Marek Puska (34) and Lubomir Puska (35), and wife, Lucia Istokova (34), whose addresses cannot be published by court order, are accused of failing to disclose information to gardaí on a date unknown between January 12th and January 27th, 2022, at Tullamore Garda station.

Jozefina Grundzova (33) and Viera Gaziova (38) are both accused of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of a person.

Free legal aid for senior and junior counsel was granted to all five defendants, who were not required to attend court for Wednesday's hearing.

The matter was then adjourned by Ms Justice O’Connor to a case management list in June.