Taxi driver jailed for sex assault on passenger

A Dublin taxi driver who sexually assaulted a passenger has been sentenced to three years in prison, with the final year suspended. Paul Murphy (45), of Glenayle Road, Raheny, was found guilty of sexually assaulting the woman after she hailed a cab in the city centre on November 11th, 2011.

He was caught after the victim pulled insurance documents out of his pocket during the attack, which were later used to track him down.

The court heard Murphy has no previous convictions. Gerardine Small, defending, said her client does not accept the verdict of the jury. She said Murphy was of previous good character and drove a taxi with no complaints for 14 years. He has three children, including a wheelchair-bound son.

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Patricia Ryan said the assault was a serious breach of trust as Murphy was a taxi driver and the victim was his customer.

Garda Anthony O’Shea told Cathleen Noctor, prosecuting, the victim had been out with a friend on the night at a few city centre venues. She had not had much to drink when she hailed a cab on George’s Street to her home on the north side of the city. She sat in the back of the taxi and there was “normal chat” on the way. When she got out of the cab at her home, the driver got out too and said “you look like you need a hug”.

He grabbed her arm and asked her if she wanted to go to the beach. The woman said "no chance". She asked him what his wife would say, and told him she had to get back to her house as there were people there. Murphy then got her against a wall and tried to kiss her on the mouth, neck and face.

Bite his face
She tried to bite his face but did not scream as she thought no one would hear her. Murphy tried to put his hand under her clothes, she pulled it away, but the abuse continued.

She put her hands into his pocket and pulled out papers in the hope of distracting him. As the papers fell on the ground, she pushed Murphy and walked very quickly away, hiding behind a neighbour’s car. The papers turned out to be insurance documents.

In a victim impact statement read out on the woman’s behalf, she said her life had changed the day she was assaulted.

“It robbed me of my confidence and feeling of security.”