Courts / Offaly / Report

State given more time to file response to Aishling Murphy murderer's 'extensive' appeal

Date
2026-03-13

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Tullamore

County
Offaly

Summary

The Court of Appeal has granted the State additional time to file its response to Jozef Puska's appeal against his conviction for the murder of Aishling Murphy. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy extended the deadline for the Director of Public Prosecutions to submit replying submissions to April 14, maintaining the scheduled hearing dates of April 23 and 24. The extension was necessitated by a delay in Puska's legal team filing their extensive submissions, which were due in January but received in early March. The judge also granted an application for a Slovakian interpreter. Puska, who pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy in Tullamore, Co Offaly, in January 2022, is serving a life sentence. His appeal challenges the admission of his confession and CCTV footage. Separately, in June 2025, his brothers Marek and Lubomir Puska were convicted of withholding information and sentenced to 30 months each. Their wives, Viera Gaziova and Jozefina, were sentenced to 24 and 21 months respectively for burning evidence. Lucia Istokova, Puska's partner, pleaded guilty to withholding information and received a 20-month sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: State given more time to file response to Aishling Murphy murderer's 'extensive' appeal. Charges or matters: withholding information in May last year, before the start of her relative's trial; murdering Ms Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore, on January 12th, 2022. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

January 12, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
April 23 Hearing Or Sentence
January 16 Hearing Or Sentence
April 14 Hearing Or Sentence
January 12th, 2022 Other
June 2025 Other
January 2022 Incident
2026-03-13 Publication

Why: No motive has been offered for the killing and lawyers in the case and Ms Murphy's family have stressed repeatedly that there was no connection between Puska and Ms Murphy, despite internet rumours of such a link. CNI source report

Case subjects

Aishling Murphy

Appellant

Charges: murdering Ms Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore, on January 12th, 2022; withholding information in May last year, before the start of her relative's trial (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Jozef Puska

Appellant

Charges: murdering Ms Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore, on January 12th, 2022; withholding information in May last year, before the start of her relative's trial (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: Puska's brothers, Marek (36) and Lubomir (37), were each sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Viera Gaziova

Convicted Person

Charges: withholding information in May last year, before the start of her relative's trial (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Viera Gaziova (40), received a 24-month sentence, and Marek's wife, Jozefina (32), was sentenced to 21 months.