Man charged with Ashling Murphy murder named as he appears in court
A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murder of school teacher Ashling Murphy.
Jozef Puska, aged 31, was heckled as he was brought from a garda car to a special sitting of Tullamore District Court this Wednesday evening.
He was remanded in custody and will appear in court again next week.
The 23-year-old victim, who graduated from Mary Immaculate College last year, was killed while jogging in Tullamore a week ago this Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a second man, arrested under the provisions of Section 30 Offences Against the State Act 1939, has been released without charge.
The body of Ms Murphy, a talented musician and teacher, was found on the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore last Wednesday.
A crowd of around 40 people walked along the canal on Wednesday, close to where her body was found, to mark one week since her murder.
On Tuesday, large crowds gathered in the village of Mountbolus and outside St Brigid’s Church, where her funeral was held.
Mourners included Irish president Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Micheal Martin.
Vigils have been held in Limerick and across Ireland and the world to remember Ms Murphy and to call for a change in tackling gender-based violence.