Jozef Puska denies murdering Ashling Murphy (Picture: PA)
The man accused of murdering Irish teacher Ashling Murphy has told jurors he was stabbed by a masked knifeman who then attacked her.
Jozef Puska, 33, is said to have killed Ms Murphy, 23, while she exercised on a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on January 12 last year.
Jurors at Dublin’s Central Criminal Court have been told the father-of five dragged Ashling off the walkway into some dense hedges where he stabbed her 12 times.
One of the wounds severed her voice box, which a pathologist told them would have left her unable to scream. Witnesses said to have interrupted Puska’s attack have described seeing him hunched over the teacher, whose legs were ‘kicking hard, like she was crying out for help’.
Prosecutors say she died at around 3.30pm that afternoon, with her Fitbit having registered her heartrate fluctuating ‘erratically’ moments before it stopped recording one altogether.
Giving evidence, Puska told the court he was ‘trying to help’ Ms Murphy after she had been attacked by the real killer, who he said was wearing a surgical mask.
He claimed to have problems with his memory, but outlined what he claims took place that afternoon.
Puska said he was stabbed multiple times by a man on January 12, 2022, while walking along the canal between Digby Bridge and the N52 flyover.
‘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.
‘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.’
Jozef Puska, 33, (left) being questioned by his barrister Michael Bowman SC (right) at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, where he is accused of killing teacher Ashling Murphy (Picture: PA)
Ashling Murphy was a primary school teacher in Tullamore (Picture: PA)
Puska said he fell down, stood up, and was pushed on the floor.
‘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 lady appeared, who he later said was Ms Murphy, 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.’
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He said he heard shouting and went towards Digby Bridge where he saw the man and the woman in the bushes.
Puska said he started shouting at the man who then came towards him.
Through the interpreter, Puska said: ‘After a few moments, he turned around and he started running towards the bridge N52.’
He said the man was wearing a surgical mask.
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, adding: ‘I was trying to help her.’ He said Ms Murphy touched his hand and that he did not harm her.
Jozef Puska, 33, in the dock at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, accused of killing teacher Ashling Murphy (Picture: PA)
Puska said he saw a woman and another person at the scene who ran away.
‘I really got scared. I was in a shock.’
He said he stayed with Ms Murphy for a moment before he got ‘really stressed’ and left.
Under cross-examination from prosecutor Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, Puska repeated the claim he was trying to help Ms Murphy.
Ms Lawlor put to the defendant there was no other man at the scene. He replied through an interpreter: ‘Yes, there was.’
She told Puska he had stabbed Ms Murphy 11 times and sliced her neck with a 12th wound.
Puska replied: ‘No, it wasn’t me.’
Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC arriving at the Dublin Central Criminal Court for the trial of Jozef Puska (Picture: PA)
Ms Lawlor said Ms Murphy scratched Puska in an attempt to save herself.
Puska replied: ‘No, she didn’t hurt me at all.’
He accepted he had lied to gardai at Tullamore garda station and St James’ Hospital.
Under re-examination from his defence counsel Michael Bowman SC, Puska said Ms Murphy touched his hand while she was still alive.
‘I felt that she put her hand on my hand and I felt that she was moving.’
The jury was told that there is one more witness to call in the case.
The trial resumes on Monday.
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