Courts / Dublin / Report

Convicted rapist told detectives he planned to have own solicitor abducted

Date
2021-06-17

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Michael Murray, 50, is on trial at the Circuit Court in Dublin for threatening to kill senior counsel Dominic McGinn and barrister Tony McGillicuddy, who prosecuted him for rape in 2013, and for harassing McGinn by advertising him online as a prostitute, as well as harassing his former defence solicitor and the woman he was convicted of raping. He pleaded not guilty to the threats and harassment charges. Murray admitted owning the phone used for the calls, which his defence said was given to him by another solicitor. During a May 8, 2015 interview, Murray told detectives that he had instructed his former solicitor to call 24 defence witnesses, but she did not comply, and that he believed his legal calls were being intercepted. He also claimed he had planned to have his solicitor abducted by a "foreign gang," a plan he later cancelled.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Convicted rapist told detectives he planned to have own solicitor abducted. Charges or matters: raping; charges of making threats and carrying out harassment; raping. "Escort available for private calls. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

May 8, 2015 Incident
January 19, 2015 Other
January 21 Other
16 November Incident
2021-06-17 Publication

Why: Murray said he called his former solicitor "a number of times", and told detectives it was because he wasn't happy with his defence in his trial for rape. Defence account reported by CNI