Man gets 15 years for abduction and rape

A Corkman who repeatedly raped and tied up a mother after abducting her and her four-year-old son has been jailed for 15 years at the Central Criminal Court.

Michael Murray, aged 42, lured the woman into an apartment by telling her that an elderly woman was dying inside and needed her help.

He then tied her up and assaulted her before taking her son and abandoning him in a city square.

Murray, formerly of Killiney Oaks, Killiney, Dublin, and with a previous address at Devonshire St, Cork City, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault, two counts of rape with a make-up pen, attempted vaginal and anal rape, oral rape and aggravated sexual assault between Feb 12 and 13, 2010, in a Dublin City apartment.

He also denied child abduction, threats to kill or cause serious harm, false imprisonment, stealing a bank card and stealing cash from two ATMs. He was found guilty on all counts last July.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said the appropriate sentence could not be less than 15 years. He said the dominant factor in the woman’s victim impact report was fear.

In the report, read into court by counsel, the woman, said: “I thought Ireland was a safe country for me and my husband to raise my family. I’m not so sure anymore.”

Det Sgt Dennis Ellard told Dominic McGinn SC, prosecuting, that once inside the flat Murray told the woman if she had sex with him he would let her and her son go. When she refused he said he would kill her. He threatened to kill her son if she did not co-operate.

Later he made her change into a black lace night dress and told her she had to pretend she was 10 years old and call him ‘daddy’.

He tied the woman’s hands and began sexually assaulting her but was interrupted by her son.

Murray then tied the woman up to a radiator and gagged her before taking her son and leaving him on the street. He returned to the flat and began to beat the woman before sexually assaulting her for several hours. Murray finally left the apartment just after 5am and the woman managed to free herself.

The woman armed herself with a knife because she was afraid Murray would come back. She smashed a window and began throwing plates out on to the street.

By this time gardaí had found the woman’s son safely. They found her in the flat after passers by reported a disturbance.

Murray was arrested the next day.