Sister-In-Law Told Gardaí She Burned Jozef Puska’s Clothes Day After Ashling Murphy’s Murder, Jury Hears

Tuesday, 3 June 2025 15:36

By Martin Osborne

Puska's brothers, Marek and Lubomir, are on trial accused of withholding information from gardai, while their wives, Jozefina Grundzova and Viera Gazoiva, are accused of burning the clothes Jozef Puska was wearing when he killed Ms Murphy.

A jury has heard one of Jozef Puska’s sisters-in-law told gardai she helped burn his clothes the day after he murdered Ashling Murphy.

Jozefina Grundzova, who was living in Mucklagh, Co Offaly at the time, is on trial with another sister-in-law of Jozef Puska's, as well as his two brothers.

In January 2022, Jozef Puska murdered Ashling Murphy along the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore.

His brothers, Marek and Lubomir, are on trial accused of withholding information from gardai, while their wives, Jozefina Grundzova and Viera Gazoiva, are accused of burning the clothes Jozef Puska was wearing when he killed Ms Murphy.

Today, the jury was told six days after the murder, Marek’s wife, Ms Grundzova, told gardai that she and Lubomir’s wife, Ms Gazoiva, burned Jozef’s clothes.

She claimed their husbands told them they had to do it.

She said she burned his socks, t-shirts and shoes, while Ms Gazoiva burned whatever was left.

When asked if there was anything on the clothes, she said there was blood on the sweater and t-shirt.

All four have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face.

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