Today, the Ashling Murphy murder trial entered its third day at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

Jozef Puska, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, County Offaly is accused of murdering the 23-year-old primary schoolteacher in January 2022.

He has pleaded not guilty.

To follow all things related to the trial, you can listen to Newstalk Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney’s daily podcast All Rise: The Ashling Murphy Murder Trial.

Today, the court heard from Garda Tom Dunne who said he took an emergency call at Tullamore Garda Station on the day Ms Murphy died.

Garda Dunne said three cars were dispatched to the canal in Tullamore and people pointed him and his colleagues towards a ditch where they found her body.

“He described how he went down into this ditch, he described performing CPR with his colleague,” Mr Greaney said.

“Another detective, who he worked with, was up on the canal looking down at what they were doing below and he asked if he could get a pulse.

“He said he didn’t think so but there may have been a faint one, that was how he put it - this was Detective Sergeant David Scaffold.

“[He] also gave evidence today and was also at the scene, arrived around the same as Garda Dunne and could observe him doing CPR below.

“Garda Done and a colleague were taking turns doing chest compressions as they awaited paramedics.”

When paramedics arrived, Gardaí said they helped lift Ms Murphy’s body out of the ditch onto the footpath.

Detective Sergeant David Scaffold told the court there was an “awful lot of blood” on Ms Murphy’s body.

“He described that one thing that stuck with him was how her mouth was wide, wide open,” Mr Greaney said.

“That was how he put it.

“He noticed some cuts and a slice on her neck, he described her clothing.”

The court heard the paramedics tried to revive Ms Murphy but that her body had become “limp” and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Post-mortem

State Pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis told the court she conducted a post-mortem examination on Ms Murphy’s body at Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore on January 13th, 2022.

She said it was her conclusion that Ms Murphy died as a result of stab wounds to the neck, with no contributory factors.

Dr Collis said she found at least 12 sharp wound injuries – caused by a knife or a similar instrument.

She told the court that there were also some injuries to Ms Murphy’s fingers.

She said they may have been defensive in nature as Ms Murphy may have held up her hands to try and protect herself.

Every day of the Ashling Murphy Murder Trial will be documented by Newstalk Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney via the All Rise: The Ashling Murphy Murder Trial podcast.

You can listen to it here:

Main image: Ashling Murphy.