The man accused of murdering teacher Ashling Murphy admitted his involvement to police two days later, the Central Criminal Court heard, reports RTE.
Joseph Puska, 33, of Linally Grove, Muckleagh, Co Offaly, pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy on the Grand Canal in Tullamore on January 12, 2022, as she was out for a run.
Prosecuting barrister Anne-Marie Lawlor told jurors it would be understandable if they reacted to the killing of a young woman like Ashling Murphy with visceral disgust.
However, they were asked to approach the subject from a cold, clinical and dispassionate perspective.
Ms Lawlor said jurors would hear from two witnesses who came forward after the attack. They would describe the attacker, she said, and jurors would hear how they saw Ms Murphy kick her leg.
Lawlor said the evidence showed that Puska fled the scene through bushes leaving the bicycle next to Ms Murphy’s body.
He said matching DNA was found under Ms Murphy’s fingernails, reports RTE.
The jury was told gardaí had collected 25,000 hours of CCTV footage and they would be able to see some of it.
CCTV also showed Mr Puska arriving at his father’s flat in Crumlin, Dublin, in the early hours of January 13.
On the evening of January 14, through a translator, as Tullamore police officers told him they were investigating Ashling Murphy’s murder, Puska said: “I did it. I murdered. I am the murderer,” reports RTE.
He said he didn’t do it on purpose. He felt guilty and sorry.
He later told another officer that he “cut her when she passed [him]. “I cut her neck,” he said, “she panic, I panic,” reports RTE.
He also pointed to the stomach and said, “I do this.”
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