Latest news with #MarekPuska
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Irish Times
Jozef Puska's relatives now accept jury verdict and will not appeal conviction, court hears
Jozef Puska 's two brothers, who were last month convicted of withholding crucial information about the murder of Ashling Murphy , and their wives – who burned the killer's bloodstained clothes – will not appeal their convictions, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Lubomir Puska jnr (38) and Marek Puska (36), along with their wives Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32) appeared before the court on Monday, where Ms Justice Caroline Biggs fixed a date of October 7th for sentencing in the case. Jozef Puska (35) murdered the 23-year-old school teacher on January 12th, 2022, by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. He was later convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. READ MORE The four family members were found guilty on June 17th this year, after a jury accepted the prosecution's case that Lubomir jnr and Marek misled gardaí by failing to disclose crucial and vital information when they gave witness statements, while Gaziova and Grundzova burned Jozef's clothes to impede his arrest or prosecution. All the defendants had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges during the four-week trial. However, Lubomir jnr had admitted to gardaí that he lied in his initial statement, while his wife Viera and sister-in-law Jozefina told investigators that they had burned clothes. At the Central Criminal Court on Monday, Karl Finnegan SC, representing Marek Puska, said his client now accepts the verdict of the jury and will not be appealing the decision. He said Marek has engaged with the Probation Services and has further meetings scheduled in the coming month. Lubomir Puska jnr (35 ) and Viera Gaziona (38) arriving at Central Criminal Court last month. Photograph: Collins Courts A barrister representing Lubomir jnr said her client also accepts the verdict of the jury and is due to meet with the Probation Services on July 9th. Damien Colgan SC, for Gaziova, said it is his understanding that in his client's case, the verdict is also accepted. He said a social worker is now involved under the auspices of another agency. He said this was going to take some time and asked for a sentence date in October. Paul Murray SC, for Grundzova, confirmed his client has met the Probation Services. He said she also accepts the verdict. A barrister representing Lucia Istokova, Jozef Puska's wife, said her client had pleaded guilty before the commencement of the trial. Istokova (36) had admitted to withholding information from gardaí investigating the murder after a pre-trial hearing. Ms Justice Biggs said she would extend legal aid for the purpose of preparing psychological reports for any of the defendants, if this was deemed appropriate by counsel. She said in circumstances where reports were awaited, she could either deal with matters 'in one fell swoop' or in two stages. Mr Murray told the court he thought it would be more expedient to have the matter dealt with in one day. Ms Justice Biggs adjourned the matter to October 7th for sentence. She said at that point, she hoped to have probation reports, any potential psychological reports and any other reports that are available. It was the State's case that the two brothers misled gardaí and withheld 'crucial, relevant and significant' information when they gave voluntary interviews in Tullamore two days after Ms Murphy's death. This included information that Jozef Puska returned home on the night of the murder with visible injuries, admitted to killing or seriously injuring a woman with a knife and subsequently travelled to Dublin. All four family members were living with Jozef Puska, his wife Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly when the offences occurred in January 2022.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- BBC News
Relatives of Ashling Murphy's killer guilty of impeding murder probe
Relatives of convicted killer Josef Puska have been found guilty by a court in the Republic of Ireland of charges relating to the aftermath of the killing of Ashling Murphy was stabbed to death by Josef Puska while walking along the banks of a canal close to her home in Tullamore, Co Offaly, in of the killer's brothers, Marek Puska and Lubomir Puska Jr, were found guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Tuesday of withholding information knowing it might be of assistance in securing their brother's brothers' wives, Jozefina Grundzova and Viera Gaziova were found guilty of burning Jozef Puska's clothes in an effort to impede his prosecution. Jozef Puska's wife, Lucia Istokova, had pleaded guilty just before the trial started to withholding information about the included witnessing Jozef Puska arriving home with visible injuries, admitting killing or seriously injuring a woman with a knife, and that he owned a bicycle the gardaí were interested Istokova's plea can only be reported now as legal restrictions were in place while the trial of Jozef Puska's brothers and their wives was taking evidence the court was told that after murdering Ms Murphy, Puska went to the house he shared in Tullamore with his wife and their children as well as his two brothers and their lawyers argued that the brothers knew what Puska had done, and their wives knew why they were burning his clothes. Defence lawyers for the two brothers said that they were worried about incriminating five were remanded on continuing bail and the case will be mentioned on 7 July when a sentence date will be Murphy's mother and father, Kathleen and Ray, her sister Amy and brother Cathal were in court on Tuesday to hear the verdicts.
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Irish Times
Puska family trial: Jury to continue deliberations tomorrow
A jury will return to the Central Criminal Court tomorrow to consider its verdicts in the trial of family members of Jozef Puska who are charged with offences relating to obstructing his arrest for the murder of schoolteacher Ashling Murphy. The panel of seven men and five women began considering their verdict last Wednesday and have spent a total of 10 hours and five minutes deliberating. At 1.45pm, presiding judge Ms Justice Caroline Biggs told the jurors she would let them go for the day after they had previously asked to cease their deliberations at an earlier time on Monday. They will resume their deliberations at 11.30am tomorrow. READ MORE Jozef Puska (35) murdered Ms Murphy (23) on January 12th, 2022 while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. He was later convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. His brothers, Lubomir Puska jnr (38) and Marek Puska (36) are charged with withholding information from gardaí. Their wives, Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32) are charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Puska by burning his clothes. All the accused were living with Puska, his wife Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly when the offences are alleged to have occurred in January 2022. All accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Irish Times
13-06-2025
- Irish Times
Jury in trial of Jozef Puska's relatives to resume deliberations on Monday
Jurors in the trial of family members of Jozef Puska, who are charged with offences relating to obstructing his arrest for the murder of schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, have ceased their deliberations for the weekend and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Monday. Jozef Puska murdered Ms Murphy (23) on January 12th, 2022, by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. He was later convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. His brothers, Lubomir Puska Jnr (38) and Marek Puska (36) are charged with withholding information from gardaí. Their wives, Viera Gaziova (40) and Jozefina Grundzova (32) are charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska by burning his clothes. READ MORE All the accused were living with Jozef Puska, his wife Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly, when the offences are alleged to have occurred in January 2022. All accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges. After originally beginning their deliberations on Wednesday, the jury on Friday returned to court shortly before 12.30pm with three questions. The jurors first asked whether the four accused 'need to know that they are doing something unlawful at the time they do it to be guilty of a crime', to which Ms Justice Caroline Biggs said they did not. The jury then said they understood that protection of Jozef Puska is not a reasonable excuse in and of itself, but asked if the motivation was the protection of the wider family, particularly the children, and protection of Jozef Puska was the means to achieve this, does this qualify as a reasonable excuse. They gave the example of protection from harassment. In response, Ms Justice Biggs said it had already been indicated that the issue of self-incrimination can amount to a reasonable excuse. She said beyond that, the issue of reasonable excuse was entirely a matter for them to decide on the evidence. She said if there was some evidence, it was for the prosecution to disprove it to a standard of beyond reasonable doubt. Ashling Murphy. Photograph: In his closing speech, defence counsel Karl Finnegan SC said that Marek Puska was entitled to remain silent to avoid incriminating himself. Mr Finnegan said there was a real risk that the information his client had could implicate him in an offence of assisting his brother after the murder. Kathleen Leader SC, for Lubomir Jnr, said her client delayed but did not withhold information. She said he had a reasonable excuse for the delay and asked the jury to consider the 'natural sense of protection for his younger brother'. She said it is understandable that Lubomir Jnr was reluctant to accept that his brother had 'committed a truly horrific murder'. The third and final question posed by the jury was whether they should consider only the written statements and other evidence presented or if they could take into account wider circumstances or family dynamics. 'For example, if a person is perceived to be influenced by family dynamics when committing an act, can this be considered a reasonable excuse or is it only relevant to sentence,' they said. Ms Justice Biggs said in relation to that, and in relation to the issue of reasonable excuse, she would go back to what would not be a reasonable excuse, which was the protection of Jozef Puska. Ms Justice Biggs told the jury that they could take into account more than the witness statements and other evidence. 'You can take into account whatever you deem appropriate if it is founded on the evidence or if you can infer it from the evidence,' she said, before warning the jury to be careful not stray 'into the territory of speculation or guesswork'. The 12 jurors originally began considering their verdicts on Wednesday. However, a change was made to the indictment on Thursday and since then the panel has spent seven hours and 18 minutes deliberating. Prosecutor Anne Marie Lawlor SC told the jury in her closing speech earlier this week that Marek and Lubomir Jnr knew what Jozef had done shortly after 9.30pm on the night of the murder because Jozef told Marek. Despite this, Ms Lawlor said Marek and Lubomir Jnr failed to disclose vital information when they spoke to gardaí. Their wives burned Jozef's clothes to impede his arrest or prosecution, she said. In his closing address, Paul Murray SC, for Ms Grundzova, told the jury that when his client burned Puska's clothes, she did not have any of the evidence that would later prove Jozef's guilt. Damien Colgan SC, for Ms Gaziova, told the jury that his client's view at that time was that Jozef had been the victim of an assault.
BreakingNews.ie
09-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Jozef Puska's brother withheld information to protect himself, court told
Jozef Puska's brother, Marek, was protecting himself, not Jozef, when he withheld information from gardaí who were investigating the murder of Ashling Murphy, a lawyer has told the Central Criminal Court. Defence counsel Karl Finnegan SC told a jury that Marek Puska (36) was entitled to remain silent to avoid incriminating himself. Mr Finnegan said there was a real risk that the information his client had could implicate him in an offence of assisting his brother after the murder. Advertisement Mr Finnegan said the jury might not like the defence put forward but, he said, it is a legitimate legal defence and they must apply the law. Mr Finnegan also asked the jury to consider the possibility that Marek did not believe his brother had stabbed Ashling Murphy to death when he spoke to gardaí two days after the murder. Prosecutor Anne Marie Lawlor SC told the jury that Marek knew what Jozef had done shortly after 9.30pm on the night of the murder because Jozef told him. Despite this, Ms Lawlor said Marek and another brother, Lubomir Jnr (38), failed to disclose vital information when they spoke to gardaí. Their wives, Jozefina Grundzova (32) and Viera Gaziova (40), burned Jozef's clothes to impede his arrest or prosecution, she said. Advertisement Ms Gaziova and Ms Grundzova are charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Jozef Puska by burning his clothes. Lubomir jnr and Marek are charged with withholding information. All the accused were living with Jozef Puska, his wife Lucia, and 14 children at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly when the offences are alleged to have occurred in January 2022. All accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges. Jozef Puska murdered Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old schoolteacher, by stabbing and slashing her neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore on the afternoon of January 12th, 2022. A jury later convicted him of that murder and he is serving a life sentence. Advertisement Delivering her closing speech on Monday, Ms Lawlor told the jury of seven men and five women that there is an onus to provide information about serious offences such as murder. Marek and Lubomir Jnr each had information about the murder, she said, including that Jozef had confessed that he "killed a girl". She asked the jury what possible reasonable excuse either brother could have for failing to tell gardaí what they knew when they gave voluntary statements on January 14th. Common sense, she said, would indicate that their reason for not telling gardai was that they didn't want their brother to be arrested or prosecuted. Advertisement The information they had was vital to gardaí, Ms Lawlor said, to power the investigation into the murder of a 23-year-old woman who was found "dead in a ditch in inexplicable circumstances". She said it is "patently obvious" that the information they had was material to the investigation. When Viera and Jozefina burned Jozef's clothes, "they knew why they were doing it," Ms Lawlor said, and acted without any reasonable excuse. They both admitted to burning Jozef's clothes and they knew through their husbands that Jozef had admitted to "stabbing or killing a girl". "As night follows day," Ms Lawlor said the burning of the clothes is linked to their knowledge of what Jozef had done. She urged the jury to use their common sense and return guilty verdicts. Advertisement Mr Finnegan was the only one of the defence counsels to give a speech today. He said the legislation regarding withholding information was introduced following the Omagh bombing to force people with knowledge of that atrocity to come forward. However, Mr Finnegan said, the legislation does not remove a person's right to remain silent if they believe that they could incriminate themselves. At the time, Mr Finnegan said, there was a real risk that his client would be arrested for assisting Puska after the murder by arranging to get him out of Tullamore or because he knew of the plan to burn Jozef's clothes. This was a "reasonable excuse" for his failure to disclose information, counsel said, and is a legitimate defence in law. Marek's statements were an attempt to distance himself from Jozef Puska, Mr Finnegan said, adding: "He was distancing himself from culpability or knowledge of what Jozef Puska was doing that day." Mr Finnegan continued: "There are elements of this defence that you might not like, but you are here to do a job and I am asking you to apply the law to the evidence." Closing speeches for the other three accused will begin on Tuesday.
