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The trial of Jozef Puska, accused of the murder of Ashling Murphy, heard today that some of the stab wounds the young schoolteacher suffered may have been inflicted when she held up her hands to defend herself.
Evidence was given by Gardaí who had arrived at the scene by the canal at Cappincut near Tullamore, and by Dr Sallyanne Collis, a state pathologist, who conducted a post-mortem examination on Ms Murphy’s body.
Dr. Collis said that the cause of death in the case was stab wounds to the neck. She agreed that there were no other contributory factors.
She told the Central Criminal Court in Dublin today that Ms. Murphy suffered eleven stab wounds to the right side of her neck, and that one had gone through her voice box.
She also said that some of the stab wounds the young schoolteacher suffered may have been defensive injuries – when Ms Murphy may have held up her hands to defend herself.
The court also heard from Gardaí who had arrived on the scene after receiving an emergency call. They made repeated attempts to help Ms. Murphy, including CPR and chest compressions before paramedics arrived to no avail.
Earlier this week the court heard Mr. Puska had come to live in Ireland around 2012. The court heard that on the evening of the 14th of January, when questioned regarding Ms. Murphy’s murder with the assistance of an interpreter, the Slovakian national told Tullamore gardaí: “I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer.”
The prosecution said that Mr. Puska claimed to gardaí that he had not murdered Ms Murphy intentionally, and that he was sorry. He said that when she passed him on the canal path he had “cut her.”
“I cut her neck,” he said, “she panic, I panic.”
Ms. Murphy was a graduate of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and was employed as a teacher at Durrow National School. She was also a well-known and popular traditional Irish musician.
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