The man accused of the murder of Ashling Murphy took to the stand to give evidence in his own defence.
Earlier the court had heard from the final prosecution witness - Detective Garda Colin O’Leary, who took the trial through all five of Mr Puska’s interviews with gardai on January 18th and 19th, 2022, during which the accused said he didn’t know anything about Ms Murphy’s murder. Asked by Defence Counsel Michael Bowman why he had gone into Tullamore that day Mr Puska said he was going to try and find his brother.
Mr Puska today told the court:"Not at all. This was not my intention at all. This is the truth that I was behind her but there was no bad intention whatsoever. I was riding the same way. I was riding the same way around town. I had no intention to follow anybody at all." In the final interview - which occurred on the 19th, Mr Puska was asked by Det Gda O’Leary to give account for a bike which was found at the spot where Ms Murphy was murdered on January 12, 2022.
Mr Puska also said he "will not comment" on his presence in the location of Tullamore at the time, nor his presence at approximately 3:34pm at Grand Canal Way, Tullamore, in the place where Ms Murphy died. He was then told that a DNA sample had been taken from him the day before and that a “huge amount of evidence puts you there.” Asked if he accepts that Mr Puska told officers: “No.”
In the second interview, which commenced at 7:32pm on the 18th, Mr Puska was shown a picture of his hand that was taken in St James Hospital - to which he responded by saying he couldn’t remember it being taken. He had at this point been shown a picture of Ashling Murphy, and he told officers: "I never saw her. First on this picture."
The court heard that the person had mental health issues, told gardai they had drank to intoxication and were on antidepressants.