A convicted sex offender has been jailed for 11 years and six months for raping a 16-year-old girl who was with his son at a house party. Richard Murphy, 48, of Rectory Heights, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, was described by a High Court judge in Dublin as a 'danger to young girls'.
Attack at a house party
The court heard that Murphy's son had been socialising with the girl at a party and had engaged in consensual sexual activity in the garden of the property. Murphy arrived and told his son to go inside before questioning the girl about her parents. The victim was partially undressed, and Murphy did not allow her to pull up her clothing. He then orally raped her and raped her before leaving, telling her not to tell anyone. The girl told her friends, and they left the party.
Predatory behaviour and vulnerability
Ms Justice Karen O'Connor said Murphy's defence was that he asked for her details because he was concerned for his son, then left with him. However, evidence showed that Murphy's son returned to the party alone, and Murphy disappeared for a period, with his then-partner searching for him. The judge noted that the victim was 'particularly vulnerable' and that Murphy demonstrated 'predatory behaviour'. She said the offending was 'of a more serious nature' and represented an 'escalation' from his previous convictions.
Previous convictions and sentencing
Murphy was on bail for other sexual offences involving young girls at the time of this attack. He has since been convicted for those offences and is currently serving a sentence. He was convicted of rape and oral rape in October 2022 following a trial in Waterford. The judge imposed a sentence of 11 years and six months for the rape count, concurrent with an eight-year sentence for oral rape. This sentence is consecutive to his current sentence, for which his earliest release date is October 2027.
Victim impact and judge's remarks
The victim, Angelique Schreuder, waived her anonymity to allow Murphy to be named. Her victim impact statement described wanting to 'rip her skin off and crawl out of her body' to escape the violation. Her mother encouraged her to attend counselling. The judge said there was 'limited mitigation' as Murphy does not accept the jury's verdict and has shown no remorse. Addressing Ms Schreuder, Ms Justice O'Connor said: 'You are a very brave young woman and very courageous. Your mother would be very proud of you. Your sisters and friends are very proud of you.'
