A Westmeath man has been jailed for seven years in the Central Criminal Court for premeditated kidnapping and knifepoint rape of a 12-year-old girl. The girl had asked Dermot Murphy (28) if she was going to be killed and if she was going to see her family again. He brought her to a bog where he made her strip and sexually assaulted her. She was screaming and he gave her a penknife to put in her mouth, the court heard.
Murphy, who was described as being of low intelligence and easily led, told a probation officer he had driven around looking for a girl aged nine to 14. He had done this weeks before with another man, but this was the first time he had had the opportunity to carry out his plans.
Murphy, of Brittas, Glasson, Athlone, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning the girl last September 21st and producing the knife during the rape.
He also admitted oral rape, sexual assault and sexually assaulting the girl in circumstances of serious violence or threatened serious violence, so as to cause injury, humiliation or degradation.
A character witnesses told Mr Barry White SC that Murphy often helped out with community work in his parish and was well regarded. Everyone was shocked. He was seen as "childish" and as not having the intelligence to organise and carry out such an attack without prompting.
Dr Brian McCaffrey said Murphy was on the borderline of mild mental handicap, having suffered a head injury in a childhood car accident. He had never had sexual intercourse before, and his one girlfriend of 11 months had broken up with him because of his heavy drinking.
Dr McCaffrey said while interviewing Murphy he became suspicious of a male friend who seemed to influence him about women. Murphy was now remorseful and concerned about the girl's welfare.
Mr Justice Carney said he had to take into account the high degree of premeditation, and an aggravated element associated with a forced oral sex act. There was also the humiliation and degradation of being watched as she went to the toilet. The use of a knife induced the fear she was going to be killed. In Murphy's favour was his guilty plea and his remorse.
Insp Padraig Rattigan told Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, that Murphy pretended he was looking for directions when he stopped beside the girl. He forced her into the car and drove to an isolated area where he sexually assaulted her. Later he sexually assaulted her in the car.
Afterwards he warned her not to tell anyone, saying he knew where she lived. As he drove home he disposed of the knife and a jacket for fear forensic tests could link him to the crime.
The girl raised the alarm and was able to give the registration number of the car to gardai.
Murphy was arrested hours later and admitted the offences to gardai. He said he kept the girl's socks and knickers hidden in his bedroom as a "souvenir".