Rapist Michael Murray moans that he's being blamed over bomb threats against Taoiseach
Speaking to us from behind bars, Murray said: 'Every time there seems to be a bomb threat it comes back to my door'
Rapist Michael Murray has moaned to the Irish Mirror that he’s now being blamed over a hoax bomb threat against the Taoiseach.
Speaking to us from behind bars, Murray declared he was innocent of making a recent hoax bomb threat on Simon Harris' home last month and moaned that it is the media putting him in the frame. “Every time there seems to be a bomb threat it comes back to my door,” he said.
“On both recent threats I haven’t been arrested but the media repeatedly say it’s me.” Murray has also denied being behind two similar recent threats against Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.
READ MORE:Watch: Justice Minister Helen McEntee admits problem of threats against politicians is getting worse
READ MORE: Gardai called over 'physical harm' threats to Paschal Donohoe as Ministers tell of rise in incidents
Today we can reveal that Murray, who already has a conviction for making a similar hoax bomb call against Ms McEntee, has now been formally punished by prison bosses in connection with a phone call they say he made from an official jail phone in late June.
Sources say Murray, who’s also serving a 19 year sentence for rape, was found to have breached prison rules by misusing the official phone in a call to the Samaritans hotline on that date. What exactly was said in that phone call is now part of the subject of the Garda investigation into the alleged hoax call also made to the Samaritans that saw officers having to call to Mr Harris’s home that day.
We understand however that prison bosses formally handed Murray what’s known as a P19 form - meaning he’s been punished with what’s understood to be limited visiting hours and phone calls. Murray has insisted to authorities that he did not make the phone call which Mr Harris branded as “utterly unacceptable” last month.
“I’m staying in my home. This is a clearly unacceptable situation. Even the word hoax, I'm not sure it's fair word because I've no doubt these things are done to intimidate and to upset,” the Taoiseach said. “I have young children, and I have a wife. This is an utterly unacceptable situation. I do think, and I say this really respectfully, that all of us in our discourse, including the media, need to reflect on how we sometimes comment on these matters.
It comes after Murray “vehemently denied” any involvement in recent threats, against Minister for Justice Helen McEntee - wished her no harm. Minister McEntee’s family had to be evacuated from her home after two hoax bomb threats were made to the Samaritans charity - claiming they were planted at her home.
“I am vehemently denying any involvement in it nor did I organise somebody else to do it,” Murray told us at the time. He also added: “I have no issues with Helen McEntee.”
Murray was just recently convicted over a threatening phone call he made from the Midlands Prison to the Samaritans - directed at the Minister.
The depraved beast (52), formerly of Seafield Road, Killiney, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to one count of knowingly making a false report giving rise to an apprehension for the safety of someone else while he was imprisoned in the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise on March 7th, 2021.
He continues to claim he wasn’t behind the threat - despite openly admitting to us in a previous interview in August of that year that he was. “I am admitting to it openly. I am responsible for it. I don’t give a f*ck,” Murray told us at the time. Despite that Murray took the State through the gruelling process of an eight day trial - after pleading not guilty, despite overwhelming evidence.
His trial heard that an anonymous caller phoned the Samaritans claiming to be from the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) and said explosives had been planted at the home of Ms McEntee. Murray took the witness stand and told the court that he did not make the bomb threat and claimed the allegation against him “does not make sense.”
He said the idea that he would call in a threat against the “most senior ranking” member of the Department of Justice from his cell while isolated and on a line that was being monitored was “absolutely ludicrous.” “The central issue in this case is a call. I could have come in here to the jury and hid everything. I didn’t choose to do that. I consciously told the jury the truth,” Mr Murray said.
The jury may never have known who Michael Murray was, if I wanted to go down that route. But this is about the truth of a call. “Some people may not like Michael Murray, (but) this is not what this is about. It’s not a talent contest. This is about a threat to the security of the State. This is not a personality contest,” he said.
The court was shown videos of interviews between gardai and the accused that were conducted on March 26,2021, and in which he said a group named the ‘Criminal Revenge Group’ was behind the threat - and that he could negotiate with them for it to stop. The accused also told gardai that it was “nothing personal” and he “wouldn’t like to see” Ms McEntee getting hurt - further claiming that the decision to make the phone call was made about a week beforehand.
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
