Young woman lied that off-duty garda raped her at house party

A young woman claimed she was raped at a house party by an off-duty garda but, after five days of investigation, she admitted to making up the story.

Nikita Murphy, aged 25, of 37 Dunmore Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court yesterday to a charge of knowingly making a false report causing the wasteful employment of Garda resources.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said there were other factors in the background and Ms Murphy was effectively making a cry for help.

Insp Mary King said Ms Murphy alleged she had been raped by an off-duty garda at a house party in Blackpool, Cork. She made the complaint in Oct 2011.

Detective sergeants Clare Corcoran and Clodagh O’Sullivan investigated the case for the following five days and certain discrepancies emerged in the account given by Murphy and what the detectives were able to establish, the inspector said.

Insp King said that when the detectives brought these discrepancies to the attention of Ms Murphy, she admitted her claim was false.

“She admitted she made up the story. She did give a particular name of a member of An Garda Síochána but no such garda existed,” the inspector said.

Judge Con O’Leary adjourned sentencing for two months to allow time for preparation of a probation report.