Jozef Puska has been found guilty of the murder of Irish teacher Ashling Murphy.

Ms Murphy, 23, was killed while she was out exercising along a canal in Tullamore, County Offaly, in January last year.

Her death drew outrage across Ireland and the UK, prompting calls for more to be done about femicide.

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Puska, 33, of Lynally Grove in Mucklagh, Tullamore, had pleaded not guilty to her murder.

During the trial, the court heard a man was seen in a ditch with a woman, believed to be Ms Murphy, and he shouted for a witness to go away.

The witness said Ms Murphy appeared to be fighting back but not making any noise.

The jury of nine men and three women reached their unanimous verdict after beginning deliberations at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Wednesday.

Judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt told the jury “we have evil in this room” after the verdict.

Justice Hunt said: “There will be a day of reckoning for Puska.”

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The judge said the case was particularly difficult given “the kind of person that she obviously was”.

Speaking of the Murphy family, he said: “Their position is unenviable. How their child was taken away, to consider what happened here is enough to make you physically ill.”

The jury were applauded as they exited the chamber as Ms Murphy’s mother held up a framed photograph of her daughter.

The judge said he had asked for silence but said the applause was “understandable”.

Read more:
Ashling Murphy and Ireland’s femicide epidemic

Women’s Aid welcomed the conviction, saying in a statement: “That this could happen tapped into a visceral feeling that so many girls and women are socialised to feel – that the risk of male violence is everywhere. That nowhere is safe.

“The murder of Ashling Murphy was a shocking example of dangers posed to women and the case put a spotlight on the inherent risk of male violence in society. Every woman should have the right to be safe, both in their own homes and in their communities.

“One man goes to jail today but this will not bring Ashling back or compensate for her heart-rending loss. Effective criminal justice sanctions are vital and we truly hope this offers some measure of justice and closure to Ashling’s family and friends.”

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