Ashling Murphy Murder: Killer’s Wife Jailed for Withholding Evidence, Yet Continues to Stand by Him

Dublin: The wife of convicted murderer Jozef Puska continues to stand by him, despite his brutal killing of 23-year-old schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, one of Ireland’s most shocking crimes in recent years.

Prison sources have confirmed that Lucia Istokova, 36, has been a regular visitor to Midlands Prison, where Puska is serving a life sentence. Despite knowing of his guilt, she has maintained contact with him, often visiting almost every week, sometimes accompanied by their children.

Istokova, a mother of three, was jailed on Wednesday for withholding crucial information from investigators about the murder. She pleaded guilty to failing to disclose that her husband had confessed to her on the night of the killing, telling her he “didn’t need to kill that girl” and that he “needed to get out of their home.”

The tragic murder took place on January 12, 2022, near Tullamore, where Ashling Murphy was fatally stabbed eleven times while out for a jog along the Grand Canal. The attack sparked national outrage and led to widespread vigils across Ireland.

Although Istokova initially claimed shock and disbelief at her husband’s confession, she withheld the information for two weeks, only coming forward once police had already obtained a DNA match and a partial confession from Puska while he was in hospital.

Her defence team argued that she had been emotionally devastated by the crime and had acted out of fear for her children, unable to process the revelation that the man she considered a loving father was, in fact, a killer.

However, prison sources say she has continued to support him steadfastly since his conviction.

“She is in and out of here all the time,” one prison official said. “She’s a familiar face in the visitor rooms and makes it clear she’s standing by her husband, even though he’s serving life. She updates him about their children and what’s happening at home.”

The source added that Puska remains convinced he will win his appeal, which is expected to be heard soon. He reportedly tells inmates he is innocent and that evidence used at his trial should not have been admissible.

Puska has been attending English classes inside the prison and was initially housed in a single cell, though overcrowding has now forced him to share with another inmate.

Meanwhile, his two brothers and their partners were also jailed for concealing his role in the murder. Brothers Marek (36) and Lubomir (37) each received two-and-a-half years in prison, while Viera Gaziova (40) was sentenced to two years and one month, and Jozefina Grundzova (35) to one year and nine months.

Investigations revealed the extended family had been living together in a single residence with 14 children under the age of 16, all of whom have since been taken into care by Tusla, Ireland’s child and family agency.

Despite the shocking nature of the crime and her own conviction, Istokova continues to express loyalty to her husband — a stance that has bewildered many following the case.

As Puska awaits the date of his appeal, the case remains a grim reminder of the devastating impact of one man’s violence — not only on the victim and her family, but also on those closest to him who chose silence over truth.