Puska moved onto general prison wing
No special protection for evil killer
THE evil monster who murdered Ashling Murphy is now mixing in the general prison population and is no longer getting special protection behind bars.
Jozef Puska was moved out of his single cell in the psychiatric unit of the Midlands Prison last week because of overcrowding.
He is now sharing a cell with another prisoner on the E2 landing and is openly mixing with 30 to 35 other prisoners.
Jail sources said there are at least several other “lifers” on the same landing.
Puska had threatened legal action to stop him being moved before Christmas.
Prison sources said he was terrified of going into the general prison population in case he is attacked in revenge for killing beautiful primary school teacher Ashling, 23.
But bosses ignored his threats and moved him last week for operational reasons.
A source said: “He wanted to avoid mixing with other prisoners at all costs.
“He has not displayed any signs of mental illness in the psychiatric unit and we needed the space for others with mental illness.
“He likes using the law to protect himself, having already won a battle to avoid serving his life sentence in
Mountjoy Prison. He claimed that because he had a conviction for having under age sex with a girl while he was a minor in Slovakia, he was therefore a sex offender and couldn’t be sent to the Joy.
“He ended up here in the Midlands instead.
“The staff are keeping a close eye on him in case other prisoners turn on him but he is not getting any special protection like you do in the psychiatric unit.
“There have been no incidents or trouble whatsoever since he moved into his new home.
“We will continue to keep a watching eye on him.”
The Midlands Prison is only half an hour away from Tullamore, Co Offaly where Puska murdered Ashling in January 2022.
He stabbed her 13 times as she went walking and jogging on the towpath in the town.
The married father-of-five, who had been living in Ireland for 10 years, hardly ever worked and was receiving disability benefits.
He never gave gardai a reason as to why he killed Ashling and why he stalked a number of other women on his bicycle that day.
His wife is still standing by him and has been to visit him in prison.
Puska’s appeal against his conviction is due to
be heard next autumn.
He wanted to avoid mixing with other prisoners at all costs PRISON SOURCE SPEAKING TO IRISH MIRROR