Puska stabbed the 23-year-old 11 times in the neck while she was jogging near the Grand Canal in County Offaly in January 2022.

The judge expressed that if possible, he would have imposed a whole life sentence on Puska for this brutal crime. Puska, a Slovak national, had no prior criminal record in Ireland or Slovakia and was not known to the police before the murder.

Victim impact statements from Ashling Murphy's family and boyfriend highlighted the devastating consequences of her murder. Her boyfriend, Ryan Casey, spoke of their plans to build a life together, get married, and have children.

Puska initially confessed to the murder while receiving treatment for stab wounds at a Dublin hospital, claiming it was a result of panic. However, he later claimed not to remember the incident, a claim disputed by the judge. DNA evidence from Puska was found under Murphy's fingernails.

Ashling Murphy's murder prompted renewed discussions about violence against women in Ireland and increased pressure on the government to address this issue.