The murder accused Jozef Puska has taken the stand in his trial where he is accused of the murder of Ashling Murphy.
The 33-year-old Slovakian native, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co. Offaly, denies murdering the school teacher in Tullamore in January, 2022.
He’ll give evidence, and will then face cross-examination by the prosecution.
Earlier the jury heard how the murder accused told Gardaí he didn’t know the schoolteacher, and didn’t know anything about her murder.
The jury also heard from Detective Garda Colin O’Leary, who gave evidence of Mr. Puska’s interviews with Gardai while in custody on the 18th of January 2022.
In the first interview, the court heard how he moved to Ireland in 2013, having previously lived in Czech Republic and Slovakia.
He told Gardai he initially lived in Dublin 1, before moving to Tullamore in 2015; he said he had stopped working at around 2017, after claiming he had a slipped disc.
In the second interview, he was shown a picture of Ashling Murphy and he replied ‘I didn’t see her, I didn’t know her’.
When asked if he knew Ashling Murphy he said ‘I don’t know’. Mr Puzka was also told by Gardai that he had a chance to tell them anything – which he replied ‘I don’t know anything’.
