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

Jozef Puska, of Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, County Offaly is on trial, accused of murdering Ms Murphy in January 2022.

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.

'No heartbeat'

Today, the court heard from paramedics Paul McCabe and Ciarán Daly who were summoned to the Grand Canal in Tullamore on the day Ms Murphy died. 

“[Paul McCabe] told the jury about getting the call and arriving at the scene, said he noticed the two Gardaí trying to assist a patient in some undergrowth,” Mr Greaney told The Hard Shoulder. 

“Because of  the area she was in, a decision was made to pull her up out of that ditch, onto the footpath, so that they could work on her. 

“His colleague Ciarán Daly, who gave his evidence after lunch, gave similar evidence and described grabbing the life pack from the ambulance which contained a defibrillator and various diagnostic tools. 

“Before applying the defibrillator, he checked her vital signs, checked her heartbeat, he used those diagnostic tools - this was after she had been brought up from the ditch. 

“But he said that she had flatlined, she had no heartbeat and with no other signs of life, a collective decision was made to cease resuscitation efforts at that point.”

The jury was also shown the clothes Ms Murphy was wearing on the day she died, including a pink bobble hat, a pair of blue Nike runners, a blue stained GAA top, a blood stained white t-shirt as well as a Fitbit watch and some jewellery. 

CCTV

Gardaí also played CCTV footage of Ms Murphy leaving the school where she worked that afternoon, and of her car making its way to the Grand Canal area. 

In the footage, she is later seen parking her car and exiting it. 

There was also footage of a man the prosecution alleges to be Jozef Puska and his movements from 12.25pm around the Tullamore area on the afternoon of January 12th, 2022.

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: Pupils from Ashling Murphy's class hold photographs of her. Picture date: Tuesday January 18, 2022.