Convicted rapist on trial for making death threats to barristers

By Stephen Bourke

A convicted rapist on trial for allegedly making death threats told gardaí he ordered the murder of the barrister who prosecuted him – and said “the only reason he’s not dead is because I decided to do it myself”.

Michael Murray (50), with an address at Seafield Road, Killiney, Dublin, is accused of leaving messages with threats to kill against Dominic McGinn SC and Tony McGillicuddy BL between Nov 6, 2014 and February 11, 2015.

Murray is also facing harassment charges over allegations he made online posts advertising Mr McGinn and two other people involved with his rape trial as prostitutes.

He has pleaded not guilty to all of these charges.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today Detective Garda Daniel Treacy said Murray was arrested at the Midlands Prison on May 8, 2015.

The month before, the court heard, Murray resisted a search while being taken to hospital, and got into a struggle with prison officers who spotted a white Samsung phone sticking out of his buttocks and seized it.

Det Gda Treacy told Seán Gillane SC, prosecuting, that Murray initially denied using the phone to contact Mr McGinn and Mr McGillicuddy, saying others had access to the phone.

But Murray went on to say he wanted Mr McGinn dead for prosecuting him for rape.

“Fuck Dom, fuck him. The only reason he’s not dead is because I decided to do it myself. I could have got someone else.”

He claimed he had “found a connection” between his phone and that of the husband of the woman he’s convicted of raping.

“I asked the State to hand over the phone records. They held on to them for four years.”

He said the conviction would have hung over him even if the Court of Appeal overturned it.

“I’m only telling it straight.

No DNA, the hospital said nothing happened. She said she was kidnapped off the street… she wasn’t pulled off any street.”

“Right now 15 years or life it makes no difference… I don’t care about threats to kill.

I know it’s ten years or whatever – I don’t care.”

“The reason I’ve given you that is because it relates to my trials”

It was put to Murray that he had phoned Garda Headquarters just before 1am on November 16, 2014, when a male voice told a civilian telephonist: “Dom McGinn was going to be shot dead.”

“Was that the night he was to be shot?”

“I put out the hit on him. I wanted to do it myself.”

“If you call me a rapist, I’ll kill you. I don’t care who the fuck you are.

I’ll smash him into pieces. I’ll throw him into Dún Laoghaire Harbour if you like.”

“When you’re from nothing and you’re in the system as long as I am … I wouldn’t care if I was shot after shooting him or shot trying to get out.”

Murray was asked if he made a phone call to Tony McGillicuddy on February 9, 2015, around half past ten.

“Probably did yeah.”

It was put to him that he said on that occasion: “Tony you prosecuted a man we know, you and Dominic McGinn. We’re after you.”

He replied in the affirmative.

He said he got Dominic McGinn’s number “a long time ago” from someone in the legal profession, but said he couldn’t recall who.

Asked about the advertisements with Mr McGinn’s name on BackPage.com Murray replied: “Does he give out about the girls calling him? I heard he swings both ways – I was trying to get him some work.”

“Do unto others as they have done unto you,” he said.

“He had me up on the stand asking about escorts. That is why I put him up as an escort.”

“I’m not a nice guy, I’m into crime like.

I’m not about raping women in my apartment. They’ve destroyed me and my family and there’s no going back from it,” he told Gardaí.

On Monday Murray pleaded guilty to possessing a mobile phone without the permission of the governor while he was in custody at the Midlands Prison on February 11, 2015.

He says it was given to him by his solicitor, Joanne Kangley while he was in hospital the previous November.

The trial continues tomorrow before Judge Karen O’Connor and a jury, and is expected to run for up to four weeks.