On the night he murdered Ashling Murphy, Jozef Puska told his brother that he had unintentionally “cut” a woman and it was “probably bad”, a trial has heard.
The jury heard that Marek Puska also told gardaí he “logically inferred” that Jozef had “murdered that girl”, but said Jozef had told him he didn’t intend to cut her.
Gardaí put it to Marek that he asked his sister-in-law, Viera Gaziova, to burn Jozef’s clothes because he believed Jozef might have been involved in Ashling Murphy’s murder.
Marek replied: “Yes, but not in those words, exactly.”
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Marek Puska (36) is accused of withholding information that was crucial to the investigation into Ms Murphy’s murder in January 2022. He is on trial with his brother Lubomir Puska Jnr (35), who is also accused of withholding information. Their wives, Jozefina Grundzova (31) and Viera Gaziova (38), are accused of impeding Jozef Puska’s apprehension or prosecution by burning the clothes he wore when he murdered Ms Murphy.
All of the accused, who have an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly, have pleaded not guilty.
The trial previously heard that Jozef Puska has been convicted of murdering Ms Murphy, a 23-year-old schoolteacher who was exercising by the canal near Tullamore when Jozef Puska stabbed her repeatedly in the neck.
Sgt Lisa Shannon today told prosecutor Anne-Marie Lawlor SC that she arrested Marek on January 26th, 2022, on suspicion of assisting his brother after Ms Murphy’s murder.
In his first interview, Marek said he wanted to tell the truth and described what he did on the day of the murder.
He said the family was concerned that Jozef was missing all day, but then he arrived home looking like he had been beaten up.
Marek said there were three holes in Jozef’s abdomen and swelling on his head. He was shaking and unable to speak, he said.
He said Jozef told him he had been sitting on a bench and stabbed himself. He said a woman started screaming and shouting: “Don’t do that, stop harming yourself.”
He said the woman tried to grab his arm and he, Jozef, “might have had a knife in his hand, then he hit somebody”.
Marek recalled his brother saying that he “might have hurt that person” or that he “could have cut her”. When asked if Jozef confessed to him, he said: “Yes, something had happened. He had tried to hurt himself and this woman came and he cut her.”
He said Jozef told him that he “struck out and cut her” and that it was “probably bad”.
Marek added: “He said something about a dead woman but I didn’t ask if dead or alive. You don’t ask in a situation like this.”
In a later account, Marek said the woman didn’t want Jozef to stab himself and she grabbed him and tried to drag his hand away, saying “don’t do that to yourself”.
He said Jozef wanted to take his own life and she stopped him. From his brother’s account, Marek said he thought it happened quickly and his brother did not intend what happened.
Marek said he told his wife, Jozefina, that Jozef had “murdered that girl” but he said Jozef had not been specific about what happened.
“He told me a situation from which I logically inferred,” he said.
It is alleged that Marek Puska failed to disclose that Jozef had returned home on the night of Ashling’s murder with visible injuries and admitted to killing or causing serious injury to a woman.
It is further alleged that he knew of the arrangement to burn Jozef’s clothes and that Jozef Puska travelled to Dublin later that night.
Lubomir Puska Jnr, it is alleged, also withheld that Jozef returned home with visible injuries, admitted to “cutting a female”, and travelled to Dublin.
Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988.
Jozefina Grundzova (31), who is married to Marek Puska, and Viera Gaziova (38), who is married to Lubomir Puska Jnr, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between January 12th and 14th, without reasonable excuse, intending to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska, knowing or believing him to have committed the offence of murder or some other arrestable offence within the same category or of a similar nature.
Ms Grundzova and Ms Gaziova pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Criminal Law Act 1997.
The trial continues before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of seven men and five women.
