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

Jozef Puska, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, County Offaly, denied the charge but was found guilty of murdering Ms Murphy this afternoon. 

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. 

Verdict 

Mr Greaney told The Hard Shoulder the courtroom was “as tense as you can imagine” today as people waited for the jury to finish deliberations. 

“Despite the compelling evidence, there is still a worry when a jury goes out to begin its deliberations, there’s still that element of doubt,” he said. 

The jury finished deliberations after only two hours, however. 

Mr Greaney said the courtroom was “bursting at the seams” before the verdict was announced – similar to the previous 16 days since this trial began. 

“I noticed Ashling's sister Amy and her boyfriend Ryan were the first back [in the courtroom] from the family,” he said. 

“Amy was just looking skyward as the jurors filed back in. 

“I noticed their mam Kathleen holding a really lovely framed photo of Ashling... she was holding it tightly as she and Amy embraced awaiting the verdict of the jury.” 

Guilty

Puska was brought to the courtroom shortly after Ms Murphy's family arrived and the judge Justice Tony Hunt called for silence in the courtroom. 

“A painfully uncomfortable two minute followed before we learned Jozef Puska had been found guilty of murder,” Mr Greaney said. 

“From day one you really did feel that this verdict was coming, it was inevitable. 

“It was incredible Jozef Puska even challenged the charge.” 

Mr Greaney noted the “interesting comments” made by the Mr Hunt in his address. 

“He said he completely agreed with the jury's decision,” he said. 

“When he turned his attention to Puska's case he referred to it as nonsense, which is a reflected in how long the jury deliberated – only two hours. 

“He said he’s glad the jury didn’t waste any more time on Puska's nonsense.” 

Sentence

Puska’s hearing sentence will take place on November 17th – but Mr Greaney noted we all know what the sentence will be. 

“There's only once sentence the judge can pass down,” he said. “Now that he’s been convicted of murder, that’s the mandatory life sentence.” 

Ms Murphy’s family will have the opportunity to make victim impact statements at the sentence hearing, which Mr Hunt encouraged them to do. 

“As is the case with so many trials, people like Ashling Murphy get forgotten about, it would have always been about Jozef Puska and his right to a trial,” Mr Greaney explained. 

“Now that he has been convicted, we should get a better flavour of who Ashling was and the person she should have been allowed to become.”