A FORMER shop security man who secretly shot up-skirt images of women in Galway pubs, clubs and streets will be sentenced this week for attempted rape and assault.
Russell Murray (33) grabbed a woman on her way to work and dragged her to where he had packed a number of items, including Vaseline and a red saw handle, in a rucksack to assist him with rape. Det Garda Barry Carolan revealed that the 24-year-old victim quickly escaped her assailant’s grasp when she pulled the balaclava off his head.
Murray, of Clydagh, Moycullen but originally from Glenshane Park, Tallaght, in Dublin pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to assaulting and attempting to rape the woman at a housing estate in the early hours of April 8th, 2009.
He has some previous minor road traffic convictions.
Det Garda Carolan told Gerard Clarke, prosecuting, that gardaí thought they were dealing with a mugging until they found the rucksack, which contained three prepared strips of duct tape, Vaseline, toilet roll, a dog lead, rope and red saw handle.
Det Garda Carolan said colleagues arrested Murray when he returned to the estate later that day and gave them a false account of why he had left his van at the scene. He claimed he had left it behind on the way into town because it had run out of diesel and he couldn’t afford to fill it up.
Det Garda Carolan said gardaí knew from a neighbour’s account that the van had arrived in the area shortly before the incident.
He said Murray told gardaí after arrest that he had initially intended to mug someone but got a “sexual urge” to rape a woman.
He said he had long fantasised about bondage and fetish and admitted having ropes at the scene to restrain a potential victim.
Det Garda Carolan said Murray was “ambiguous” as to what he would have done with a potential victim after he had raped her.
He told gardaí: “It wasn’t in my mind to hurt her, but it’s hard to say.” The detective garda said colleagues found a digital camera card, containing graphic up-skirt images of women, on Murray on his arrest.
The detective garda agreed with Michael O’Higgins, defending, that his client made admissions in interview and entered a guilty plea. Mr O’Higgins submitted to Mr Justice Paul Carney that his client had demonstrated remorse and regret for his actions. Mr O’Higgins said his client, who has been in custody since arrest, was happy to engage with any psychological treatment in jail. Mr Justice Carney adjourned sentence until later this week.