Jozef Puska denies he stabbed Ashling Murphy and claims he was stabbed by actual killer
The man accused of murdering Ashling Murphy has denied in court that he stabbed the schoolteacher 11 times and sliced her neck, as he blamed another man for the killing and his own injuries.
Ms Murphy, 23, was killed while exercising on a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly, at about 3.30pm on January 12 last year.
Jozef Puska, 33, of Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, Tullamore, has pleaded not guilty to her murder.
Puska told the court that he was “trying to help” Ms Murphy after an alleged attack by another man along the canal.
The jury also heard Puska admit he had lied to gardai, says he has problems with his memory and that he had asked someone to burn his clothes after the attack.
Giving evidence with the assistance of an interpreter, Puska alleged he was stabbed multiple times by a man on January 12 2022 while walking along the canal between Digby Bridge and the N52 flyover, near where Ms Murphy’s murdered body was found.
“This was the area I was attacked by one male. I have no idea why he attacked me. I was trying to defend myself. He pulled a knife towards me and he attacked me with the knife.”
Puska said he did not know the attacker, who was wearing a surgical mask.
“I was on the bike. He started shouting at me and I didn’t understand him. As I was passing him, then he pushed me.”
Taking questions from his defence counsel Michael Bowman SC, Puska said he fell down, stood up and was pushed on the floor by the man.
“That was the time he was telling me something but I didn’t really understand what he was trying to tell me. He pulled the knife and started threatening me. That he would hurt me, that he would kill me.
“That was the time when he pulled the knife and stabbed me in my stomach. He stabbed me again and he kept shouting something but I really don’t know what.”
Puska said a woman, who he later said was Ms Murphy, appeared after a few moments.
“She said something to him, and he started shouting at her. That man stabbed me again, that was the moment when he stood up and he walked or went towards that woman.
“While he went towards the woman, I stayed on the floor lying down and then somehow they disappeared among the bushes.
“I didn’t notice where exactly because I was trying to stand up from the floor.”
He said he heard shouting and went towards Digby Bridge, where he saw the man and Ms Murphy in the bushes.
Puska said he started shouting at the man, who then came towards him.
Through the interpreter, the defendant said the attacker turned and ran away after a few moments.
Puska said: “I went towards the lady who was on the floor and I saw her, she was injured. I went around her, behind her so I could see the pavement because I was scared that man could come back.”
He said he tried to use her scarf or shawl to cover her injuries.
“I was trying to help her.”
Puska said Ms Murphy was still alive and moving, and that he could tell she was dying.
He told the court that he did not harm her.
“I felt that she put her hand on my hand and I felt she was moving.”
Puska said Jenna Stack, who gave evidence earlier in the trial, arrived at the scene.
He said she ran away after he shouted in pain.
The accused said he noticed another woman, who he said could be Aoife Marron, also running away.
“I really got scared. I was in shock.”
He said he stayed with Ms Murphy for a moment before he got “really stressed”.
He told the court that he did not have medical experience and left the scene.
“When I thought I can’t help her, it is not in my power, then I left.”
Puska said he went along bushes into a field where he started to feel “really unwell” and lost consciousness.
He said he woke up when it was dark and went to a friend’s house, who drove him to his home in Mucklagh.
He said he later went with his parents to their house in Crumlin, Dublin.
Puska said he started vomiting blood and was taken by ambulance to St James’ Hospital.
He said he “cannot recall very well” his stay in hospital, including speaking to gardai with an interpreter on the phone.
Prosecuting barrister Anne-Marie Lawlor SC put to the defendant there was no other man at the scene. He replied through the interpreter: “Yes, there was.”
The prosecution told Puska he had stabbed Ms Murphy 11 times and sliced her neck with a 12th wound.
The defendant said: “No, it wasn’t me.”
Ms Lawlor said Ms Murphy scratched Puska in a desperate attempt to save herself.
Puska replied: “No, she didn’t hurt me at all.”
He denied telling Ms Stack to “get away” when she arrived at the scene.
Asked if he had said “help, help” or anything similar, Puska said he did not have time to say anything to her.
While taking questions from Ms Lawlor, Puska admitted he had lied to gardai at the hospital in relation to a stabbing in Blanchardstown.
“Yes, it was a lie and I would like to apologise for this.”
Puska said he lied because he was worried about his family in Tullamore.
Asked if he was a person who lies, Puska said: “In some parts, yes, I do admit.”
Asked about evidence that he had confessed to the murder, Puska said he could not agree with this because he could not recall it.
Ms Lawlor asked him if he had later told gardai that he knew nothing about the murder: “Yes, I said it.”
Ms Lawlor said he had concocted “yet another set of lies for the jury”.
Puska replied that he had said what he remembered from January 12.
Ms Lawlor again accused Puska of lying.
The defendant replied: “Everybody has an opinion for this but I said what I remember.”
Puska also told the court he shaved his beard after the alleged attack because he had scratches on his face and head, and he wanted to see them.
Ms Lawlor asked Puska about his friend taking him to his house in Mucklagh after the incident.
The defendant said he was worried the man who attacked him could be near the house.
“He could be, why not? I thought that. What if he knew me, I don’t know.”
Ms Lawlor asked if he had given the man who stabbed him his address.
“No, but when he said to me and threatened my family. I thought he knew my family, I was just cautious.”
He added: “He was threatening me about my wife.”
Under questioning from Ms Lawlor, Puska agreed he had left his bicycle beside Ms Murphy’s body.
Asked if he had a problem with his memory, the defendant replied: “I know that I have problems with my memory, I have problems remembering certain things and this happens quite often.”
Puska told Ms Lawlor that he had asked someone to burn his clothes after the attack.
Ms Lawlor asked Puska if he had been following women in Tullamore on January 12.
The accused said this was not the truth: “I was riding on the bike but I did not follow them.”
He said he had a wife at home and had no reason to follow other women.
He accepted he was riding slowly.
Puska finished giving evidence on Friday afternoon.
The jury was told that there is one more witness to call in the case.
The trial resumes on Monday.
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