Jozef Puska, the man accused of the murder of 23-year-old primary school teacher Ashling Murphy has had his legal aid extended.
The 31-year-old Slovakian national with an address of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly was not present today during a brief hearing which sought to grant the legal aid certificate.
The hearing also confirmed that Ashling Murphy's case is set to go before the Central Criminal Court on June 6th this year. The trial is expected to last in the region of three to four weeks.
Ashling Murphy death, © PA Wire/PA Images
The June 6th date was originally set back in April last year but was subject to change depending on any pre-trial issues.
Anne-Marie Lawlor, senior counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions noted that her team was keen for the case to commence on June 6th.
Ashling had been jogging along a path at the side of the Grand Canal in Tullamore on January 12th 2022 when she was fatally assaulted.
Ms Murphy, a talented traditional Irish musician and graduate from Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, was working as a teacher at Durrow National School at the time of her death.
