Jozef Puska was found guilty of the murder of Ashling Murphy

The 33-year-old Slovak national now faces a life sentence for murdering Ms Murphy on the Grand Canal in Tullamore, County Offaly on the afternoon of January 12, 2022.

After a four-week trial, the jury returned to Courtroom 13 today and the foreman told the judge they had reached a verdict.

Puska stood in the dock with the interpreter standing next to him.

The clerk read the verdict – that Puska was guilty of the murder of Ashling Murphy.

During the trial, the jury heard evidence that Puska stabbed Ms Murphy 11 times in the right side of the neck.

The stab wounds damaged her right and left carotid arteries as well as her larynx and right carotid artery, the autopsy showed, and it is unlikely she would have been able to speak or make intelligible sounds.

A fingerprint and DNA sample of Puska were taken from a bicycle found near Ashling’s body, the court heard.

Male DNA found under Ashling’s fingernails also matched two samples from Puska.

On January 14, 2022 – two days after her death – Puska admitted killing Ashling, the jury heard.

From his bed in St James’ Hospital in Dublin, Puska told investigators: “I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer.”