Man pleads not guilty to murder of Ashling Murphy
Ashling Murphy was a primary school teacher and talented folk musician
At a glance
A 33-year-old man pleads not guilty to murdering Irish teacher Ashling Murphy
Ms Murphy, who was 23, was fatally attacked while jogging on 12 January 2022
Jozef Puska, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, County Offaly, is charged with her murder
A jury has been sworn in and a trial could take five weeks
- Published
A man accused of murdering a schoolteacher in the Republic of Ireland last year has pleaded not guilty.
Jozef Puska, 33, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh in County Offaly, is charged with murdering Ashling Murphy.
Ms Murphy, who was 23, was fatally assaulted while jogging near Tullamore in January 2022.
The charge was put to Mr Puska at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday afternoon, who then stood and replied "not guilty" through a Slovakian interpreter.
Jozef Puska will face trial as he denies murdering primary school musician Ashling Murphy
A jury of nine men and three women have been sworn in for the trial which will begin on Tuesday morning, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt told the court the trial could last up to five weeks.
He also told jurors they should not serve if they had publicly engaged on social media about the case "in one way or another" as it had attracted "more than the usual share of publicity".
If the court found out jurors had expressed views on social media, the judge said it could cause grave difficulties for the trial.
He urged jurors if publicity meant they could not give Mr Puska a trial with a completely open mind, they should tell the judge who would excuse them from serving.
The prosecution is expected to begin outlining its case on Tuesday morning.