Courts

Prisoner who made hoax bomb threat calls directed at Government Buildings has jail term extended

Convicted rapist pleads guilty to two counts of making the threats from Midlands Prison in Portlaoise

A prison officer closing a security door in Midlands Prison. The bomb hoax calls to the Samaritans were traced to the prison. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd
A prison officer closing a security door in Midlands Prison. The bomb hoax calls to the Samaritans were traced to the prison. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd
Wed Dec 04 2024 - 20:21

Convicted rapist Michael Murray will serve another 18 months in custody for hoax bomb threat phone calls directed at Government Buildings last year.

Murray (53), formerly of Seafield Road, Killiney, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of making the threats from Midlands Prison in Portlaoise.

Det Garda Joseph Heaphey told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the special detective cordoning off unit and dog units were deployed to investigate the threats. Public order units were on standby but were not brought into the cordon.

Leinster House was closed at the time as it was summer, and the Dáil Chamber was not in session.

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Murray rang the Samaritans to make the bomb threats. On July 3rd, 2023, a Samaritans volunteer said a male with a soft voice said “there’s an item planted in the Oireachtas” followed by “speaking to the republic…code name P O’Neill”.

The next day another call was received by the Samaritans by a man who spoke slowly saying there was a red car in Leinster House and there was a bomb in it that was “going to explode in one hour”… “signed P’O Neill”.

The garda told Diarmuid Collins, prosecuting, that a number of units searched Government Buildings but nothing of evidential value arose. The calls to the Samaritans were traced to Midlands Prison. A particular code was assigned to Murray for making calls, and he had been given the phone to use at the particular times.

Under cross-examination by Garret Baker, defending, Det Garda Heaphey agreed Murray pleaded at a very early stage. He said he rang him and admitted he had made the calls. “He attempted to contact me through the prison confidential line,” said Det Garda Heaphey.

Murray addressed the court and apologised to gardaí, the court and society.

He has 41 previous convictions for offences including theft, firearms, criminal damage, use of a mobile phone in prison and abduction of a child. He is serving a series of consecutive sentences, including for rape, false imprisonment, harassing the woman he had raped and threats to the two barristers prosecuting that case.

Earlier this year he was convicted of making a false bomb threat to the home of Minister for Justice Helen McEntee in March 2021, and received a sentence of two years consecutive to a 16-year sentence.

Judge Patricia Ryan said mitigating factors include his early plea and apology to society and members of the Garda. Aggravating factors included the seriousness of the offence, that areas had to be cordoned off and many units of the Garda were deployed.

The judge said she had to take account of his personal circumstances given he is in custody since 2010 and is not due for release until November 2037 at earliest. But she said the court had to mark the seriousness of the offences and imposed a headline sentence of 4½ years but given his early plea she reduced it to 18 months. For the second offence she imposed a consecutive sentence of 18 months but suspended it in full for a period of three years.