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

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

He denies the charge.

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 witnesses regarding alleged admissions of guilt by Mr Puska in hospital while he was being treated at St James’ Hospital in Dublin

“During a conversation with those Gardaí, Detective Sergeant Brian Jennings gave evidence that Jozef Puska told him from his hospital bed that he did it, that he was the murderer, that he didn’t mean to and that he was sorry,” Mr Greaney said.

“All of this evidence was heard last week from an interpreter on loudspeaker translating the conversation between them.

“We heard from another garda who gave evidence of Jozef Puska telling him that he had cut her and this witness, Detective Garda Fergus Hogan, said at that point he didn’t know Ashling Murphy’s cause of death.”

Oxycodone

The court then heard from Professor Michael Ryan, an expert in toxicology and pharmacology at University College, Dublin.

Before the trial, Professor Ryan examined Mr Puska’s medical records, the memo of interviews, the book of evidence and the various statements from.

“We heard that Jozef Puska had keyhole surgery on the evening of January 13th last year and Professor Ryan in his evidence today described [that] as less severe than open surgery, he said he was put under for the operation and would have been given morphine,” Mr Greaney told The Hard Shoulder.

“But he said those medications would have been out of his system by the following evening.”

The only drug in Mr Puska’s system that gave Professor Ryan “pause for thought” was oxycodone.

“[Professor Ryan said he] took a close look at the prescription he was given, that was for the administration of up to 10 milligrams as was required and the doses, which he said were at the lower end of the scale,” Mr Greaney said.

“At its absolute maximum, he said Jozef Puska would have had just over 8.5 milligrams of oxy[codone] in his system by the time he made the admission in hospital.

“From his experience - and all the medical literature that he read as part of his assessment, he said patients would not exhibit any side effects below 10 milligrams.

“He said you only see side effects when you enter higher dosages.”

There are two prosecution witnesses left the court has yet to hear from.

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 back here:

Main image: A vigil for Ashling Murphy in Kinsale, Co Cork is seen on January 15th 2022. Image: John Allen / Alamy Stock Photo