THE BRAVERY of a 13-year-old girl who fought off her attacker was praised in court yesterday. The man tried to abduct the girl intending to sexually assault her, Mullingar Circuit Court was told. The judge said he would impose “a significant custodial sentence”.
The sentencing hearing began yesterday in the case of Dermot Murphy (42), Atlantic Coast Apartments, Tramore, who admitted trying to abduct the girl last July in order to sexually assault her.
He pleaded guilty to attempted false imprisonment, attempted child trafficking and to assault causing harm to the girl, who he had approached by asking for directions.
Det Sgt Kieran Hanly, who described the victim’s bravery as “outstanding,” said Murphy got out of his van and approached the girl, who was on her bicycle, on the pretext of clarifying directions. He then grabbed the girl, who fought back.
She fell to the ground but kicked Murphy, and bit his leg. Her top came off during the struggle before she fled to safety.
DNA evidence from her top, which Murphy threw in a ditch, matched a sample he gave to gardaí. A green hold-all containing clothes and rope found at his home matched one the girl saw as Murphy held the rear van door open and tried to force her in.
He had set out that day with the intention of finding a girl, and the victim was the third young woman he had seen and attempted to engage.
Gardaí used CCTV footage to retrace the van’s journey. When they contacted Murphy to arrange an interview, he handed himself in. “I don’t know what came over me. I feel sorry for the girl, maybe I need help,” he told gardaí.
In a victim impact statement read by Det Sgt Hanly, the girl, who was in court with her family, said she was afraid of being alone and was wary of all men, even when with her parents.
She wondered if people were watching her and if Murphy would come back, or had done the same thing to other girls who had not come forward. She was sometimes worried about what could have happened to her, and was always thinking about the incident.
Murphy served a six-year and 10-month sentence in 1998 for the rape and false imprisonment of a young girl and completed a sex-offenders course in prison.
Senior counsel John Paul Shortt said his client had been doing well after his release from prison, before his stable new life in Cork was turned upside down by publicity.
He had been seeking “some assistance to curb his perverted urges”, but had had to leave, Mr Shortt said. He now wanted to further engage in treatment and post-release supervision.
Murphy was born to a respectable family, but a deformity of his legs led to surgery and significant scarring. This in turn led to a speech impediment, bullying in school and to Murphy not completing any State exams, Mr Shortt said. His one relationship broke up because of his alcohol and gambling problems, and he became interested in young girls during his 20s while watching a friend groom and sexually assault them.
Mr Shortt said Murphy’s perversions had developed to a dangerous level, but that he was sorry and wanted help so he wouldn’t end up in a position where another young life could be ruined.
He was at high risk of reoffending and Judge Tony Hunt said it was only the victim’s strength of character and physical strength that had prevented something happening “which hardly bears thinking about”.
Describing Murphy as a serious threat to society, with ongoing and unresolved problems, he remanded him in custody to July for psychiatric and other reports.