Unusual Courtroom Demeanour: Murder Trial Witness Shows Little Emotion Until Final Days

Our Legal Affairs Correspondent Órla O'Donnell observed him over the last three weeks.

Earlier, he had spelled out this worry to prosecuting counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor."It has always been my concern to get to the end of this trial as quickly as we can," he said."That concern is heightened now." Ms Lawlor said she shared this feeling. When he turned up in court the next morning, after a lengthy consultation with his entire legal team, his long black hair, which was usually slicked back in a ponytail, was down around his shoulders.

Ashling’s sister Amy remained in court. She asked one of the taller journalists sitting in the row in front of her to move aside so that she had a clear eyeline directly to the witness box, and she stared at Puska intently as he began to talk. Mr Bowman said he understood and that Puska's lawyers had had"a long conversation with him" earlier in the day.Firstly, prosecution expert Professor Michael Ryan had categorically stated that there was no recorded evidence anywhere of any effects on behaviour or mood caused by the dosage of oxycodone in Puska's system at the time he confessed to gardaí that he had murdered Ashling Murphy.

Puska could have been left in no doubt that he would have to give evidence in person, something that is relatively uncommon for an accused in a murder trial. His parents attended court every day and he would look towards them and greet them when he emerged from the CCJ’s holding cells every morning. They were often joined by one or more of Puska's siblings.

There were very few shows of emotion. When eyewitness Jenna Stack described how he had told her to"get away" when she saw him crouched over Ashling Murphy, he shook his head. At other points, he appeared to be smirking. As the days wore on, however, journalists in court noticed he looked more tired and a bit more defeated. His expression grew more sullen.When he eventually gave evidence, with an interpreter sitting beside him, he delivered his answers in Slovak without any emotion.

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