The Central Criminal Court heard victim impact statements during Jozef Puska’s sentencing hearing, and Ashling Murphy’s mother told the court she had begged her daughter not to walk past the Grand Canal on the day of the murder, reports RTE.
In a statement read to the court on her behalf, Kathleen Murphy said she always felt bad about it and told her daughter to practice closer to home.
On the day, Ms Murphy hugged her mother saying “ah mum, I’m 23-years-old. I love you”.
“As a parent you want your child to go out into this world and live a full and meaningful life yet being acutely aware of how fragile their safety is, wanting to protect them. I couldn’t protect my darling Ashling and now she is gone forever,” the statement read, reports RTE.
Ms Murphy said the evening the heartbreaking news arrived on their doorstep, her uncle found Ashling’s dinner untouched under the stove.
“All the simplicities in life were destroyed in an instant and the sudden realisation dawned on us that she would never walk through the door again,” she said, reports RTE.
“I would give our house, car and every penny I have to have our beautiful Ashling with us,” she added, reports RTE.
She said her daughter had done everything right in her life and had not taken any risks.
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