Courts / Offaly / Report

Issue raised about reliability of Ashling Murphy accused's alleged confession, judge tells jury

Summary

In the Central Criminal Court, Judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt addressed a jury hearing the trial of Jozef Puska, who denies murdering 23‑year‑old school teacher Ashling Murphy. The judge reiterated the legal principles and guided the jury through the evidence presented, including an alleged confession by Puska, DNA found under Murphy's fingernails, interview evidence from Gardaí after his arrest, and eye‑witness testimony at the scene. Puska, 33, has pleaded not guilty to the murder that occurred on 12 January 2022 in Cappincur, Tullamore. The defence has questioned the reliability of Puska's alleged confession, recorded on 14 January when he was in St James's Hospital. The judge noted that while the words spoken were recorded, the defence raised concerns about their truth, accuracy and reliability, citing an expert who suggested Puska may have been confused or experiencing "subtle delirium" due to surgery, pain relief medication, the unfamiliar hospital environment and a language barrier.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Issue raised about reliability of Ashling Murphy accused's alleged confession, judge tells jury. Charges or matters: murdering Ms Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore, Co Offaly on January 12th, 2022. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• January 14 Incident
• January 12th, 2022 Other
• 2023-11-08 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report