Court told accused was 'desperate' after admitting killing of Ashling Murphy

Mr Sedlacek translated for the gardaí that Mr Puska said: 'I did it, I killed her, but please tell him also that I didn't do that intentionally.'

The court heard that a DNA sample taken from a bicycle found at the scene where Ms Murphy died generated a full DNA profile which matched that of Jozef Puska (pictured).

An interpreter who translated Jozef Puska's alleged admission to the murder of Ashling Murphy said the accused man was emotional, spoke with a "trembling" voice and appeared in "very low spirits... even desperate" after the confession.

Miroslav Sedlacek told Mr Puska's Central Criminal Court trial that he was on the phone, translating the conversation between Mr Puska and gardaí who were on a ward in St James's Hospital on the evening of January 14, 2022, two days after Ms Murphy was stabbed to death near a towpath by the Grand Canal in Tullamore.