Wife and two brothers of Ashling Murphy’s killer Jozef Puska appear in court charged with withholding information

Puska is currently serving a life sentence for Ms Murphy’s murder after a lengthy and highly publicised trial earlier this year

• 15:27, 20 DEC 2023

The wife and two brothers of murderer Jozef Puska have appeared in court – charged with withholding information that could have led to his prosecution.

Marek Puska (34) and Lubomir Puska (35) are charged with withholding information that could have led to the arrest or prosecution of their brother Jozef Puska for the murder of 23 year old schoolteacher Ashling Murphy in January 2022.

Puska’s wife Lucia Istokova (34) is also charged with withholding information on a date unknown between January 12 2022 and January 27 2022 at Tullamore Garda Station.

All three are accused of failing without reasonable excuse to disclosure as soon as was practicable to a member of the Garda Siochana information which they are alleged to have known or believed might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of Jozef Puska for the murder of Ashling Murphy.

The offences are Contrary to Section 9 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998. Puska is currently serving a life sentence for Ms Murphy’s murder after a lengthy and highly publicised trial earlier this year.

Today all three accused appeared before Judge Andrew Coady at Tullamore District Court and were handed the book of evidence. They were then sent forward for their next court appearance at Dublin’s Central Criminal Court.

The presiding judge asked that they keep to bail conditions set out at a previous court sitting and told all the defendants that if they had an alibi, they now have 14 days to notify the prosecution.

There was an application for legal aid which was granted after no objection from the State. Two other women also appeared in court in connection with the same case – but charged with separate offences.

Jozefina Grundzova (31) and Viera Gazoiva (38) are charged with impeding the apprehension of Jozef Puska. Both women are accused of committing the offence on a date unknown between January 12 2022 and January 14 2022 at an address in Lynally Grove, Mucklagh Co Offally.

In particular where another person committed the murder of Ms Murphy, she’s accused of knowing or believing that person to be guilty of the said offence or some other arrestable offence and without reasonable excuse act with intent to impede that person’s apprehension or prosecution.

The offence is contrary to Section 7 (2) and (4) of the Criminal Law Act, 1997. They too were remanded on continuing bail having been served the book of evidence and were told if they had an alibi that they were to inform the State within the next 14 days.