Murderer caught on CCTV stalking women before brutal killing of schoolteacher

10 November 2023 , 16:52

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He was spotted stalking women before the murder

Schoolteacher Ashling Murphy was killed by Jozef Puska while she was out jogging in broad daylight in a crime that has shocked Ireland, and the wider world.

Puska was convicted by a jury yesterday and now shocking CCTV has re-emerged following his conviction showing him cycling around on the afternoon of January 12, last year. CCTV evidence played a vital role in convicting Puska, who in the end was forced to admit that it was him blatantly following two women on the day he attacked Ms Murphy.

One of the CCTV stills that nailed Puska shows the 33 year old on the bike that was found at the crime scene, dressed in a distinctive black tracksuit with a white line down the trouser leg. It was these images that were sent around as gardai searched for a man matching the description given by key witness Jenna Stack, who had seen him on top of Ms Murphy earlier that day.

Puska stalking women on his bike

On the sixth day of the trial heard from witness Ann-Marie Kelly, who told how Puska was "following" her and staring at her in an "intimidating" manner as she went for a walk along the canal at around 2pm. Witness Beata Borowska was also seen apparently being followed by Puska into a car park at the Tesco in Tullamore that afternoon.

Puska would claim he passed Ms Kelly when he could and that he was merely looking at her and not staring. But Ms Kelly told the court: "It was literally like slow motion and staring directly. It sort of felt like an intimidating stare."

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She said she jogged up a hill by the car park and had got as far as the canal when she noticed the man again standing to her left. She made a "quick decision" to go up the grassy side of the canal as she was "nervous of the man" and thought it would be too mucky for him to cycle his bicycle down that side.

Ms Kelly said she then noticed the man was behind her, "walking quite fast, with the bike". When she got up as far as a white van she noticed an older man who said hello to her, and following this she stopped to either tie her lace or get the dog to catch up.

Ms Kelly said she next remembered getting to Bolands Lock where she sent a photo to her girlfriend. She said the man was catching up on her, "coming again quite fast up the hill". She told the court that she "just wanted to get away from the man at that point" and ran on.

Jozef Puska denied killing Ashling, claiming he had been trying to help Ms Murphy after she had been attacked by another man, who he said had also attacked and stabbed him. The prosecutor told the jury the 33-year-old man's evidence was full of "foul and contemptible" lies.

Ashling with her boyfriend Ryan Casey

Jozef Puska will be sentenced on Friday, November 17. The reading of any victim impact statement will take place in front of judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt who presided over the case at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Justice Hunt told the courtroom: “There will be a day of reckoning for Puska.” He had earlier told jurors their prompt verdict reflected that this was a straightforward case, the judge added that he agreed with their verdict and was satisfied it was correct.

The judge added: “I’m glad you didn’t waste any more of your valuable time with Puska’s nonsense.”

Kelly-Ann Mills