Man slashed transvestite's throat after sex, court hears

A then homeless man who had sex with a Filipino transvestite but then slashed his throat after discovering he was a man has had his sentence adjourned at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Vincent Murtagh (aged 23), now of Stanhope Green, Dublin 7 had been stopped on Dame Street while carrying a butcher's knife the day before he met the victim and told gardaí he wanted to threaten someone he had earlier had a fight with because he didn't want him "to think I was a faggot".

The victim, a male nurse, was returning from Zanzibar Nightclub, dressed in a miniskirt, high heels and makeup when he met Murtagh on June 23, 2007.

The two talked before the nurse invited Murtagh into an apartment where they engaged in oral and anal sex after which the victim revealed he was a man.

Murtagh left the next morning when the victim's friends arrived for that Saturday's Gay Pride Parade.

Garda Damien Egan told prosecuting counsel, Mr Vincent Heneghan BL, that the nurse was having a bath wen Murtagh returned on June 27. He let him in and resumed his bath while Murtagh watched pornography on the computer and masturbated.

Gda Egan said Murtagh went to the shops to buy beer and the victim sat and watched tennis on the computer but a short time later he heard someone sneaking up on him before his neck was slashed.

Murtagh cut him a second time as the victim screamed and grabbed at him, then slipped and fell in a pool of blood as Murtagh left the apartment.

Gda Egan said the Filipino nurse shouted out the window for help and tried to ring a ambulance but couldn't stop shaking while he wrapped a towel around his neck to stop the bleeding.

Paramedics arrived 15 minutes later and took him to hospital where he was given four pints of blood. Several arteries and veins had been cut and the doctor considered it a life-threatening wound because if the victim hadn't used the towel he would have died of a cardiac arrest. He had recovered with just a scar to his neck.

Murtagh went straight from the apartment to Store Street Garda Station and told gardaí what had happened. He brought them to the scene just as the victim was being put in the ambulance.

Defence counsel, Mr Patrick Marrinan SC, said the victim was such "a most convincing female" that the ambulance crew thought they were dealing with a lady.

Mr Marrinan said Murtagh was confused and "in great turmoil" after his first encounter with the victim and in the intervening days had signed himself into St James Hospital as a suicide risk.

Gda Liam Graynor said he stopped Murtagh on Dame Street on June 22, the day before he met the victim. He was running through traffic carrying a butcher's knife he had taken from a hot dog stand.

Gda Graynor said he chased him and there was a struggle before Murtagh was arrested and brought to Pearse Street Garda Station where he said he had asked a man for a cigarette but was told to "f**k off".

He said he squared up to this man "so he wouldn't think I was a faggot" but was hit in the face and he was going to find him again so "he wouldn't think I was soft".

Gda Graynor said Murtagh was drunk and had taken prescription drugs. He said he seemed very remorseful and had thanked gardaí for "stopping him from doing something a lot more serious".

Mr Marrinan said Murtagh was homeless at the time and was having problems with drugs. He said both of his parents had died as a result of heroin abuse.

Judge Desmond Hogan adjourned sentencing to allow the preparation of probation and psychiatric reports and remanded Murtagh on continuing bail.