Interpreter tells court accused was 'emotional' after 'confession'

by Eoin Reynolds

An interpreter who translated Jozef Puska's alleged admission to the murder of Ashling Murphy said the accused man was emotional, spoke with a "trembling" voice and appeared in "very low spirits... even desperate" after the confession.

Miroslav Sedlacek told Mr Puska's Central Criminal Court trial that he was on the phone, translating the conversation between Mr Puska and gardai who were on a ward in St James's Hospital on the evening of January 14, 2022, two days after Ms Murphy was stabbed to death near a towpath by the Grand Canal in Tullamore. He told Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, for the prosecution, that gardai told Mr Puska that they had a warrant to seize his belongings as part of a murder investigation.

When Mr Puska asked if he was a suspect, one of the gardai explained that he was a "person of interest". Mr Sedlacek said Mr Puska then asked him to "translate his confession, he asked me to translate it accurately, exactly."

Mr Sedlacek translated for the gardai that Mr Puska said, "I did it, I killed her, but please tell him also that I didn't do that intentionally." Mr Sedlacek said Mr Puska wanted to "stress" that it was not intentional and that he was sorry.

The garda issued a caution to Mr Puska, telling him he did not have to say anything but that anything he did say would be taken down and may be used in evidence. Gardai also offered to contact a solicitor for Mr Puska. Mr Puska indicated he understood and then started asking questions relating to the wellbeing of his family.

He asked if his family members' names would be made public and whether Ms Murphy's family would "like to take any revenge on his own family for what Jozef did to her". Gardai assured him that the Murphy family would not harm his family.

Mr Sedlacek noted that Mr Puska's voice "changed significantly during the conversation". He added: "After he has made the confession, he was quite emotional, his voice was trembling, his sentences were already quite disjointed but I suppose it was a result of the situation that he was in... I would describe him as being in very low spirits, I would say even desperate, after the confession."

Under cross examination the witness agreed with defence counsel Michael Bowman SC that in a previous statement he had said gardai were "interrogating" Mr Puska in the hospital..

Jozef Puska (33), with an address at Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Murphy at Cappincur, Tullamore, on January 12, 2022.

The trial continues before a jury of nine men and three women.