Justice Karen O'Connor fixed a trial date for April 28, 2025, for all five of the people accused of obstruction in relation to the murder investigation of Ashling Murphy at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, January 24.
Lucia Istokova, the 34-year-old wife of Ashling Murphy's murder Jozef Puska, is accused of failing to disclose information to gardaí on an unknown date between January 12 and 27, 2022.
Puska's brothers Marek Puska, 34, and Lubomir Puska, 35, are accused of the same offense.
Marek's partner Jozefina Grundzova, 33, and Lubomir's partner Viera Gaziova, 38, have both been accused of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of a person.
Justice O'Connor granted free legal aid to all five defendants, who were not required to attend the court on Wednesday.
The judge adjourned the matter to a case management list in June.
The five people were charged in June last year, and learned in December that they would face trial.
The murder of Ashling Murphy
Ashling Murphy, 23, was murdered while she was out for a jog along the canal in Tullamore, Co Offaly at around 4 pm on January 12, 2022.
The shocking incident sent shockwaves not only through Ireland but also through the global Irish community.
Jozef Puska, with an address listed as Lynally Grove, Mucklagh, Co Offaly, was arrested on January 18, 2022, and was charged on the following day, the day of Murphy's funeral in Co Offaly.
Puska was sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court on April 6, 2022, after being served with a book of evidence. Later that month, Justice Paul McDermott set a trial date of June 6, 2023, which was later postponed until October.
Puska was granted free legal aid, including representation of junior and senior counsel at the trial.
In November, a jury unanimously found Puska guilty of murdering Murphy. He is now serving a mandatory life sentence.
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