Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 0591Murder · Co. Offaly · 12 Jan 2022

Jozef Puska loses appeal against backdating life sentence for murder of Ashling Murphy

On 12 January 2022, Jozef Puska, a 35-year-old man, was convicted by a unanimous jury of stabbing 23-year-old schoolteacher Ashling Murphy 11 times in the neck and slashing her once with a blade along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. Trial judge Tony Hunt sentenced him to life and backdated the sentence to the November 2023 verdict date. Puska abandoned his appeal against the conviction in July 2026. On 16 July 2026, the Court of Appeal rejected his bid to have the life sentence backdated to his January 2022 arrest date.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court3 Jul
    3 reports
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
Puska stabbed Murphy 11 times in the neck and slashed her once with the edge of a blade.
Where
The murder occurred along the canal towpath between Tullamore town and Digby Bridge, Co Offaly.
When
The murder took place on 12 January 2022.
Weapon
A blade.
Investigation
Puska was captured on CCTV cycling the same bicycle around Tullamore earlier that afternoon.
Charges
Puska pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ashling Murphy.
In court
  • He was convicted by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court.
  • Puska abandoned his appeal against the conviction in July 2026.
  • On 16 July 2026, the Court of Appeal rejected his bid to have the life sentence backdated to his January 2022 arrest date.
Sentence
Trial judge Tony Hunt sentenced Puska to life and backdated the sentence to the November 2023 verdict date.
Other details
A monument now stands where Murphy died.
45 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatPuska stabbed his victim 11 times. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatPuska stabbed her 11 times in the neck. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe slashed her once with the edge of a blade. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAshling Murphy was a 23-year-old schoolteacher (irishtimes.com)
  • whatPuska attacked and stabbed Murphy repeatedly in the neck (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe jury found Puska stabbed Murphy 11 times in the neck (irishtimes.com)
  • whatPuska slashed Murphy once with the edge of a blade (irishtimes.com)
  • whatPuska was captured on CCTV cycling the same bicycle around Tullamore earlier that afternoon (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe murder occurred along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. (irishtimes.com)
  • wherePuska's last address was Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereHe left her to die in thick thorns and brambles by the side of the canal towpath between Tullamore town and Digby Bridge. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe notice of abandonment was completed within the Central Criminal Court building in Dublin (irishtimes.com)
  • whereMurphy was left to die by the side of the canal towpath between Tullamore town and Digby Bridge (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe murder occurred at Cappincur, Tullamore, Offaly (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe murder took place on 12 January 2022. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenPuska went into custody after his arrest in January 2022 (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe murder took place on January 12, 2022 (irishtimes.com)
  • weaponPuska stabbed Ashling Murphy 11 times in the neck (irishtimes.com)
  • chargePuska pleaded not guilty to the murder (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe conviction appeal was originally due to be heard on 23 April but was vacated. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska's barristers applied to withdraw from the case days before the original hearing date. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJohn Berry confirmed he had come on record to represent Puska a week after the original date was vacated. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Isobel Kennedy set a hearing date of 15 July for the conviction appeal. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe matter was listed for case management at the Court of Appeal on Friday. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska was convicted by a jury of her murder. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe judge adjourned the matter to 10 July. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska was granted legal aid for his appeal on the same basis as his trial representation. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtAt trial he was allocated a solicitor, a senior counsel and two junior barristers. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska had denied murdering the teacher at Cappincur, Tullamore. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe was convicted by a unanimous jury. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska abandoned his appeal against his conviction for the murder of Ashling Murphy (irishtimes.com)
  • courtSenior counsel John Berry informed the Court of Appeal of the abandonment (irishtimes.com)
  • courtTrial judge Tony Hunt backdated the sentence only to the November 2023 verdict date (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe backdating matter was left in for 16 July 2026 before a three-judge panel (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska does not wish to be produced in court on the hearing date (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska pleaded not guilty to murdering Ashling Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore (irishtimes.com)
  • courtPuska lost his bid to have his life sentence backdated to when he first went into custody (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Patrick McCarthy rejected the appeal (irishtimes.com)
  • courtA sentencing judge has discretion as to whether to backdate a sentence to the date a person goes into custody (irishtimes.com)
  • sentencePuska is serving a life sentence for the murder (irishtimes.com)
  • otherPuska is serving a life sentence for murdering Ashling Murphy. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherPuska told detectives he stopped working in 2017 after slipping a disc in his back. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherPuska told detectives he stopped working in 2017 after injuring his back (irishtimes.com)
  • otherA monument now stands where Murphy died (irishtimes.com)
  • otherA monument now stands where she died (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 16 Jul2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Jozef Puska loses appeal against backdating life sentence for murder of Ashling Murphy

    Court of Appeal rejected Puska's bid to backdate his life sentence to his January 2022 arrest date, upholding trial judge Tony Hunt's decision to backdate only to the November 2023 verdict date. Judge Patrick McCarthy held that a court must exclude parole board considerations when fixing sentences.

    victim, Ashling Murphy, 23, female, irish (judged from name)Ashling Murphyconvicted, Jozef Puska, 35, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Jozef Puska
  2. 10 Jul2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Jozef Puska abandons appeal against conviction for murder of Ashling Murphy

    Puska abandoned his conviction appeal; the backdating of his life sentence (arrest January 2022 vs verdict November 2023) remains to be heard before a three-judge panel on 16 July 2026.

    victim, Ashling Murphy, 23, female, irish (judged from name)Ashling Murphyconvicted, Jozef Puska, 35, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Jozef Puska
  3. 3 Jul2026
    In courtirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Scope of Jozef Puska’s appeal against conviction for murdering Ashling Murphy may change, court hears

    Reports a case management hearing at the Court of Appeal on 3 July 2026 where Puska's new barrister John Berry indicated the scope of his conviction appeal may change following new instructions, and the matter was adjourned to 10 July 2026.

    victim, Ashling Murphy, 23, female, irish (judged from name)Ashling Murphysuspect, Jozef Puska, 35, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Jozef Puska