Jozef Puska: Jury resumes deliberations in Ashling Murphy murder trial

The jury of nine men and three women retired to consider their verdict on Wednesday afternoon, but were sent home for the evening at 4 p.m. after 25 minutes of deliberations.

Jozef Puska (33), with an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Tullamore, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashling Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore on January 12, 2022.

The process is now in its fourth week.

On Thursday morning, Judge Tony Hunt read Rostislav Pokuta’s statement to the jury.

The judge said he outlined the elements of murder yesterday and told jurors that if he were them he would take the route of fact-finding and then applying the law.

Judge Hunt said their deliberations would end if the jury concluded it was reasonably possible that a third man inflicted the stab wounds on Ms Murphy.

If the jury decides that Mr. Puska was the author of Ms. Murphy’s wounds, they will then have to decide what crime was committed, he said.

Judge Hunt said if Mr Puska caused the wounds, the jury would then have to decide whether he intended to kill Ms Murphy or cause her serious injury.

If the intent was less than to kill or cause serious injury, the jury would have to consider manslaughter, the judge said, even if neither the prosecution nor the defense disputed manslaughter. He told the jury they had to reach a verdict consistent with the evidence.

Judge Hunt then explained the definition of a serious injury – an injury that poses a significant risk of death to the victim.

The jury resumed deliberations at 10:53 a.m.

It is alleged that Mr Puska stabbed Ms Murphy eleven times in the right side of the neck with a knife.

In his defence, Mr Puska said he was stabbed three times in the stomach by a man wearing a face mask, who then attacked and killed Ms Murphy.