The Central Criminal Court has heard victim impact statements in the sentencing hearing for Jozef Puska, with Ashling Murphy's mother telling the court she begged her daughter not to go for a run along the Grand Canal on the day she was murdered.
In a statement read to the court on her behalf, Kathleen Murphy said it always made her ill at ease and she had asked her daughter to exercise closer to home.
On the day, Ms Murphy had hugged her mother saying "ah mum, I'm 23 years old. I love you".
"As a parent you want your child to go out into this world and live a full and meaningful life yet being acutely aware of how fragile their safety is, wanting to protect them," the statement read.
"I couldn't protect my darling Ashling and now she is gone forever."
Puska murdered the primary school teacher in a random attack along the Grand Canal in Tullamore on the afternoon of 12 January last year.
The 33-year-old received the mandatory term of life in prison today, a sentence described by Mr Justice Tony Hunt as "wholly deserved".
Ms Murphy said on the night the heartbreaking news came to their door, Ashling's untouched dinner was found in the bottom of the oven by her uncle.
"All the simplicities in life were destroyed in an instant and the sudden realisation dawned on us that she would never walk through the door again," she said.
"I would give our house, car and every penny I have to have our beautiful Ashling with us."
She said her daughter did everything right in life and did not take risks.
"Ashling would be alive today if that evil monster did not come upon her," Ms Murphy's statement read.
"This was a random, unprovoked attack. I believe this coward came from behind and didn't face her.
"Ashling didn't stand a chance against this evil monster that was armed with a knife. Why someone could go out and brutally murder a young woman who they had never met before is totally incomprehensible.
"His actions must have consequences, he must never see the light of day again."
Ms Murphy's statement began by describing her daughter as "one in a million".
"She was loving, caring and always had a gentle big smile for everyone," the statement said.
Her daughter always thought about everyone else before herself, she added.
"She took pride in herself and if she had accomplished so much at such a young age she stayed grounded and humble," the statement said.
"She loved fashion and music. She had an infectious laugh but never wanted to be the centre of attention.
"Ashling knew her place in life and was a great listener."
She said their house was alive with music every night as she played her fiddle adding: "I miss her sweet music in our home, it breaks my heart."
Ryan Casey tells court there was no question he was going to marry Ashling
Ashling Murphy's partner Ryan Casey said that the "horrific and completely evil taking of her life is our life sentence".
Mr Casey said that he and Ashling's family would have to bear it for the rest of their lives - a sentence in which there is no parole.
"She was only 23. She had so much more life and love to give and was taken from us far too soon," he told the court.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Casey broke down a number of times as he told the court how he met Ashling at an underage disco when they were both 15.
He said there was something "so special about her warm personality and her big wholesome smile I grew to love more and more".
He said he immediately knew there was something special about their relationship and detailed how they stayed close in the following years before beginning an official relationship.
He said there was no question he was going to marry "the girl of my dreams, my soulmate" and he knew every detail of what she wanted for their engagement and wedding as they had discussed it.
Mr Casey described how he and Ms Murphy were "such planners" and loved to plan ahead and look to the future.
They had planned to move in together, start their careers, travel the world, get married and have children.
"We often discussed how may kids we would have and how they would be mighty little hurlers or camogie players and even better musicians," he told the court.
Members of Ashling's family, who he described as "the warmest, most wholesome family", cried in court as he read his statement.
Mr Casey said everything he had was gone and cannot be brought back.
He said last year on 12 January he lost so much more than his girlfriend, he lost his soulmate and partner in life and his chance to marry the love of his life.
He added: "I've lost my parents-in-law, a sister-in-law, a brother-in-law, the privilege of marrying into the Murphy family."
He had also recalled his anguish remembering the last time he saw Ashling and they could not hug each other as it was during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said he had a horrendous feeling of regret every time he remembered this.
He said Ashling meant everything to him and he never knew there was a pain so severe that comes with losing someone in a senseless evil horrific act by "the evil lowest of the low".
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Smirking Puska showed few signs of remorse in court
Addressing Puska directly Mr Casey said: "I will say to you, you have no idea the love and connection we shared, you have no idea the love we had for each other.
"Because of you I lost my Ashling, I have lost everything I have ever wanted in life, I will never get to marry my soulmate or see her smile again.
"I will have to carry on without her and remember her longer than I have known her.
"You smirked, you smiled, and showed zero remorse throughout this trial, that sums you up as the epitome of pure evil. You will never ever harm a woman again and when your day of reckoning comes may you be in hell a whole half hour before God even knows you are dead."
Mr Casey said he thought everyone could agree that 23 years can go by in the blink of an eye and yet the maximum sentence for taking someone's life is not even that.
He called for Puska to serve the absolute maximum sentence possible which in his opinion "will never be enough".
