Man to be sentenced later for calling former partner from prison and threatening to “butcher” her when he got out

By Niamh O’Donoghue

A man who was previously sentenced to five years for threatening to kill the mother of his children is to be sentenced later for making calls to her from prison saying he would “butcher” her when he “got out.”

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Luke Murphy (38) called his ex-partner from prison and made threats that he would burn down her house and “smash” her head in.

Murphy of Abbey View, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, pleaded guilty to harassment on September 30, October 1 and 2, 2019. He has five previous convictions.

Detective Garda Harry Stephens played a phone call made on September 30, 2019 to the court on which he can be heard talking to the injured party.

“I’m going to smash your fucking head in”…“I’m going to walk down to your flat with a bottle of petrol,” he said.

“I’m going to rip your fucking teeth out I am”. “I’m going to torture you. I’m going to make you shit all over yourself.” “I’m going to burn your house down,” he added.

“I’m going to butcher you when I get out. I’m going to butcher you in front of your family. I want you dead. I want you dead, dead.”

Judge Elva Duffy told the court that it was an “appalling way to speak to any woman.”

“The facts in this case are of deep, deep concern to me,” she said.

“They are an appalling way to speak to any woman”, she added.

Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, told the court that Murphy was originally charged with threats to kill but when the matter came up in March he pleaded to harassment, and that was deemed acceptable by the DPP.

The complainant did not make a statement and the prosecution was based on circumstantial evidence. The court heard Murphy and his former partner had two boys together.

He was previously given a five-year sentence with two years suspended by Judge Melanie Greally in April 2019 for threats to kill the same woman.

While he was serving that sentence, a phone call he made to her was recorded. The court heard each prisoner has a unique code to make a phone call.

On May 19, 2020 prison officers raised concerns about calls made by Murphy to his former partner in September and October 2019.

Det Gda Stephens agreed with Marc Murphy BL, defending, he did not plead guilty to what he was originally charged with.

He further agreed that the injured party did not want to co-operate and it was not because of any interaction from his client. “No, she didn’t want to go through the whole process again,” said the garda.

Counsel said a plea was offered on the eve of the fourth trial date.

He was released from prison having served three years and has not breached suspended part of the sentence.  Five years have passed since he was released from prison, counsel said.

“He has put five years behind him because he has taken four trial dates,” said the judge.

“If everybody took four trial dates to put five years behind them where would the court system be?” she added.

He is a 38-year-old man with two teenagers. He wants to put this period of his life behind him, counsel added. “He has a partner in court and has moved on,” counsel added. He asked the judge to consider not imposing a custodial sentence.

“I hope his partner is shocked by the way he spoke to his previous partner,” said judge Duffy.

Judge Duffy adjourned sentencing until July next for a probation report.