Trial begins for Puska family members charged with assisting Ashling Murphy's killer

Marek Puska, aged 34; and Lubomir Puska, aged 35; and their wives Jozefina Grundzova, aged 33, and Viera Gaziova, aged 38, who have addresses in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly, have pleaded not guilty

Ashling Murphy was just 23 when she was murdered at Cappincur, Tullamore, in January 2022. File Picture: Facebook

The trial has begun of two brothers and their wives, each accused of withholding information or assisting Jozef Puska after he had murdered 23-year-old school teacher Ashling Murphy in Tullamore three years ago.

At the Central Criminal Court, Ms Justice Caroline Biggs swore a jury of five women and seven men to hear the trial — which is expected to last up to five weeks.

Ms Justice Biggs told the jury that Jozef Puska, aged 35, murdered Ms Murphy in January 2022 close to a canal in Tullamore. He was tried and convicted of her murder.

Ms Justice Biggs said this trial relates to the alleged actions of Jozef Puska's family members in the immediate aftermath of that murder.

On trial are Jozef Puska's brothers Marek Puska, aged 34; and Lubomir Puska, aged 35; and their wives Jozefina Grundzova, aged 33, and Viera Gaziova, aged 38, who have addresses in Mucklagh, Tullamore, Co Offaly.

Lubomir Puska is charged with withholding information by failing, without reasonable excuse, to tell a member of An Garda Síochána as soon as was practicable that Jozef Puska returned home to Mucklagh on the night of January 12, 2022, with visible injuries and admitted to "cutting" a woman with a knife. It is further alleged that he failed to disclose that Jozef Puska travelled to Dublin that night.

Burn clothing

Marek Puska is also charged with withholding information about Jozef Puska's visible injuries, that he had admitted to "killing or seriously injuring" a woman with a knife, and that he travelled to Dublin that night. Marek Puska is further alleged to have been aware of an arrangement to burn clothing worn by Jozef Puska at the time of the murder.

The charges against both brothers state that they knew or believed that the information they allegedly withheld might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of Jozef Puska for a serious offence involving loss of human life or serious personal injury to another.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to the offences, which are charged under the Offences Against the State, Amendment Act 1988.

Jozefina Grundzova — who is married to Marek Puska  — and Viera Gaziova, who is married to Lubomir Puska, are accused of assisting in burning clothing between January 12 and 14, 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 will begin with an opening statement by the prosecution on Tuesday.