Convicted rapist accused of making death threats to barristers

A convicted rapist on trial for allegedly making death threats told gardaí­ he “put out a hit” on the barrister who prosecuted him, a court has heard.

Michael Murray (50), with a previous address at Killiney, Co Dublin, is accused of leaving messages with threats to kill against Dominic McGinn SC and Tony McGillicuddy BL between November 6th, 2014 and February 11th, 2015.

He is also facing harassment charges over allegations he made online posts advertising Mr McGinn and two other people involved with his rape trial as prostitutes. He has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday, Detective Garda Daniel Treacy said Murray was arrested at the Midlands Prison on May 8th, 2015.

The month before, the court heard, Murray resisted a search while being taken to hospital, and got into a struggle with prison officers who spotted a white mobile phone sticking out from between his buttocks and seized it.

Det Garda Treacy told Seán Gillane SC, prosecuting, that Murray initially denied using the phone to contact Mr McGinn and Mr McGillicuddy, saying others had access to the phone.

But Murray went on to say he wanted Mr McGinn dead for prosecuting him for rape. “F**k Dom, f**k him. The only reason he’s not dead is because I decided to do it myself. I could have got someone else.”

It was put to Murray that he had phoned Garda Headquarters just before 1am on November 16th, 2014, when a male voice told a civilian telephonist: “Dom McGinn was going to be shot dead.”

“I put out the hit on him. I wanted to do it myself,” Murray replied. “If you call me a rapist, I’ll kill you. I don’t care who the f**k you are. I’ll smash him into pieces. I’ll throw him into Dún Laoghaire Harbour if you like.”

Murray was asked if he made a phone call to Mr McGillicuddy on February 9th, 2015. “Probably did yeah.”

It was put to him that he said on that occasion: “Tony you prosecuted a man we know, you and Dominic McGinn. We’re after you.”

He replied in the affirmative.

Murray said he got Mr McGinn’s number “a long time ago” from someone in the legal profession, but said he could not recall who.

‘I’m not a nice guy’

Asked about the advertisements with Mr McGinn’s name on an escort website, Murray replied: “Do unto others as they have done unto you. He had me up on the stand asking about escorts. That is why I put him up as an escort.

“I’m not a nice guy, I’m into crime like. I’m not about raping women in my apartment. They’ve destroyed me and my family and there’s no going back from it,” he told gardaí.

The trial continues before Judge Karen O’Connor and a jury, and is expected to run for up to four weeks.

On Monday, Murray pleaded guilty to possessing a mobile phone without the permission of the governor while he was in custody at the Midlands Prison on February 11th, 2015.

The court heard that Murray told prison officers he had swallowed razor blades, and arrangements were made to have him brought to hospital in Portlaoise.

But as he was in a state of undress during a search of his clothes in the prison’s reception area, he began to resist the officers – and the phone fell from his rectal area and onto a bench.

Det Garda Treacy told the court Murray was arrested at the prison and brought to Portlaoise Garda station for interview on May 8th, 2015.

Murray said the phone he used belonged to his solicitor Joanne Kangley, who he said had passed it to him while he was in hospital the previous November.

He denied coercing her to give it to him.

“I have no threats on her if that’s what you’re saying. How would I threaten her?”

He said he was using between €30 and €50 a day in credit, and that Ms Kangley was one of a number of people topping it up for him.

“She used her credit card. She was hardly forced,” he told gardaí.