A former shop security man who secretly shot up-skirt images of women in Galway pubs, clubs and streets will be sentenced this week for attempted rape and assault.
Russell Murray (33 ) grabbed a Polish woman on her way to work and dragged her to where he had packed a number of items, including Vaseline and a red saw handle, in a rucksack to assist him with rape.
Detective Garda Barry Carolan revealed that the 24-year-old Polish victim quickly escaped her assailant’s grasp when she pulled the balaclava off his head.
Murray, of Clydagh, Moycullen but originally from Glenshane Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to assaulting and attempting to rape the woman at the estate in the early hours of April 8, 2009.
He has some previous minor road traffic convictions.
Det Gda Carolan told Mr Gerard Clarke SC, prosecuting, that gardai thought they were dealing with a mugging until they found the rucksack, which contained three prepared strips of duct tape, Vaseline, toilet roll, a dog lead, rope and red saw handle.
Det Gda Carolan said colleagues arrested Murray when he returned to the estate later that day and gave them a false account of why he had left his van at the scene.
He claimed he had left his van behind on the way into town because it had run out of diesel and he could not afford to fill it up.
Det Garda Carolan said gardai knew from a neighbour’s account that the van had arrived in the area shortly before the incident.
He said Murray told gardai after arrest that he had initially intended to mug someone but got a “sexual urge” to rape a woman.
He said he had long fantasised about bondage and fetish and admitted having ropes at the scene to restrain a potential victim.
Murray said he had intended to use the Vaseline and red saw handle for anal and vaginal penetration on the first woman he encountered.
Det Gda Carolan said Murray was “ambiguous” as to what he would have done with a potential victim after he had raped her.
He told gardai: “It wasn’t in my mind to hurt her but it’s hard to say.”
Murray also told gardai that he had never tied up a person before.
The detective garda said colleagues found a digital camera card, containing graphic up skirt images of women, on Murray on his arrest.
Det Gda Carolan revealed that Murray had moved to Galway as a young teenager when the rest of his siblings were taken into care, both his parents had been alcoholics and he lived rough in hostels for most of his youth.
The detective garda agreed with Mr Michael O’Higgins SC, defending, that his client made admissions in interview and entered a guilty plea as soon as he could.
He agreed Murray described having sexual urges which kept him awake and restless at night and made him miss “appointments, dates and people.”
He further agreed Murray mentioned being on tablets at the time but had thought these were either not working or too strong.
Det Gda Carolan agreed that Murray’s choice of victim had been random, that he had known the area from previously living at the estate and that he later expressed remorse for his actions.
He agreed that Murray had had past mental health issues and that there had been schizophrenia in his family.
Mr O’Higgins submitted to Mr Justice Paul Carney that his client had demonstrated remorse and regret for his actions during the interview.
He submitted Murray’s actions had been “planned but not well planned” in that his victim had been chosen at random.
Mr O’Higgins said his client, who has been in custody since arrest, was happy to engage with any psychological treatment in jail.
Mr Justice Carney adjourned sentence until later this week.
