'Wrongly accused' man in Ashling Murphy murder cites PTSD in disputed theft case

Tom Tuite

A man "wrongly accused" of the murder of Ashling Murphy has suffered a range of mental health problems over recent years, a court heard as he rejected shoplifting allegations.

Details of Radu Floricel’s struggles with PTSD, psychosis, and depression were revealed during a contested bail application on Saturday as he faced charges of theft and criminal damage in a Garda station cell.

Mr Floricel, 42, of Cluain Dara, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was also accused of failing to turn up for an unrelated scheduled hearing.

Due to no local court sitting being available, Romania-born Mr Floricel was brought to appear at Dublin District Court on Saturday.

He is accused of stealing perfume worth €89 from Boots in Tullamore and ripping up a holding cell mattress on Friday, after not attending another court case two days earlier.

Garda Sergeant John Thurnley told Judge Shalom Binchy that he was objecting to the accused’s bail due to the seriousness of the charges. He was concerned that Mr Floricel would continue to commit thefts or fail to appear in court, and the sergeant cited his previous bench warrants.

Mr Floricel spoke up to say, “Your honour, I did not do any thefts.”

The garda sergeant believed the accused was a risk to himself and alleged Mr Floricel was very agitated at the shop. The accused did not accept that and counterclaimed that he had needed his tablets.

Three times, Judge Binchy advised him against interrupting, and she told him that he was well represented by his barrister.

The court heard that in the alleged criminal damage incident, the accused also became very agitated, and a doctor attended to him and suspended his detention for four hours.

The sergeant maintained that the accused “pulled a mattress asunder in the cell and tried to block up the toilet with it”. The estimated damage was €250.

Regarding the theft, the accused spoke out again, saying he had receipts for everything in his bag.

Cross-examined by defence counsel Paddy Flynn, the sergeant agreed that Mr Floricel has never had a case at the higher Circuit Court level.

The court heard the accused maintained that he did not leave the shop and was entitled to have the item in his bag.

The sergeant said Mr Floricel argued that he had not left the shop.

Mr Flynn said the accused had been homeless in Tullamore for the last 14 weeks. The sergeant said he was at his family home address until a falling-out in early October.

However, the barrister said jobless Mr Floricel was welcome to return to his mother’s address.

Mr Flynn emphasised that his client had a “unique background,” adding that "he had been wrongly accused of a very high-profile murder in 2022.

The barrister said it related to the murder of teacher Ashling Murphy, and he clarified for the judge that this piece of information was an explanation for Mr Floricel’s mental state.

The court heard that he instructed his barrister that for the last number of years, he suffered from co-morbidities: PTSD, psychosis and depression in the last few years and was on a lot of medication.

The sergeant said he was aware that he was on anxiety medication. Counsel submitted that the accused had no history of serious offences and there was no evidence that he would evade justice. A suite of conditions, he argued, could satisfy the court that Mr Floricel could be safely remanded on bail.

Mr Flynn said that his client would be attending a psychiatric unit on Monday, but the sergeant said that he could not verify that.

Judge Binchy held that grounds for opposing bail based on the seriousness of the case fell at the first hurdle, as the case would most likely remain at the District Court level, and that he could be granted bail with conditions.

He must sign on at a Garda station three days a week and stay away from the Boots outlet.

The case resumes at Tullamore District Court on Wednesday, but the judge excused him from attending if he is receiving medical or psychiatric care.

Legal aid was granted to Mr Floricel, who is on social welfare and has applied for disability benefits.

The Ashling Murphy murder case resulted in the conviction and life sentence of Jozef Puška for the random fatal stabbing of the 23-year-old primary school teacher while she was jogging along a canal towpath near Tullamore in January 2022.

Following Puška's conviction, five of his family members were also convicted and imprisoned earlier this year for offences connected to the murder, including withholding information and destroying evidence.