Irish businessman to be extradited to US for sex-assault case

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the extradition of 54-year-old Irishman businessman to the United States where he is wanted for sexually assaulting a minor during the 1990's.

Yesterday the court rejected an appeal brought by Simon Murphy against a High Court's decision to make an order for his return to New York where he left in 1998 after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault of a boy less than 11 year old, which is said to have occurred during the mid 1990's.

Last year Mr Justice Michael Peart ruled that Murphy, Rosetown, Arthurstown, New Ross, Co Wexford be extradited back to the US.

Murphy appealed that decision on grounds that the High Court had not fully taken into account the fact he said he was coerced into admitting the charge of sexual assault as part of a plea bargaining process

Today the Supreme Court compromising of the Chief Justice Mr Justice John Murray, sitting with Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns and Mr Justice Hugh Geoghegan rejected Murphy's appeal, and upheld the order for his surrender to the US authorities.