15 years for Wicklow man for rape and attempted murder

A Co Wicklow man has been sentenced to 15 years at the Central Criminal Court for the rape and attempted murder of a woman last February.

Lawrence Murphy, a 36-year-old father-of-two from Woodfield, Baltinglass, also admittted falsely imprisoning and assaulting the woman and robbing her of £700.

Det Insp Pat Mangan told the court that the victim was abducted and put in the boot of a car in Beaconstown, Co Wicklow and taken to locations in counties Carlow, Kildare and Wicklow, where she was raped four times.

She then managed to escape and raise the alarm before being taken to Baltinglass Garda Station.

The accused was known to local men and was arrested the following day by gardai.