A former lord mayor of Cork was jailed for a year, and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for sexually assaulting a teenage girl who told the court the abuse had "consumed" and "tainted" her adult life.
In November of 2013 Murray of Gregg Road in Cork was found guilty of five counts of sexually assaulting the girl while in her teens at four locations in the city on various dates between March 1996 and October 1998. He had pleaded not guilty to six counts of sexually assaulting the girl, but was acquitted on one count.
Giving evidence during a four-day trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, the retired taxi driver and former Labour city councillor insisted that none of the assaults ever occured. He testified that he was shocked and disgusted by the allegations.
The victim in the case had told the jury of seven men and five women that she was first sexually assaulted by Mr Murray at the age of 13 at a location in Cork city.
The then city councillor said she was a beautiful girl and began kissing her lips and groping her neck and breasts. The victim said on one occasion he confronted her in the toilets of a pub and rubbed her breasts while during another incident he pulled down her underwear and put his fingers in her to vagina while he masturbated with his other hand.
The victim also stated that Mr Murray sexually assaulted her in a car. During one assault he whispered in to her ear "I would love to fuck you."
In a victim impact statement during sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday the complainant said the abuse completely changed the direction of her teenage years.
"It has consumed my life since then. I went from being a happy, outgoing child to being an angry, isolated and withdrawn teenager. I was embarrassed and ashamed of what had happened. He was a former Lord Mayor and a prominent member of Cork society and I felt scared and worried that I wouldn't be believed. He was only in his 60s at the time, a tall strong man and I felt very intimidated by him. Once the abuse began I quickly gave up all my hobbies and activities and I became withdrawn. I became paranoid about how I looked and what I wore."
The victim in the case also spoke of the difficulties involved in testifying in a high-profile case.
"I have had to sit and divulge my innermost secrets and details to a room full of people and giving my evidence has made me relive it all again in my head. There has been huge media attention on this case. I have had to put on a brave face each day and try to find the courage to carry on. I am glad now that (Murray) will finally answer for the pain and anguish he has put me through and I can get some sort of closure from this and move on. I now look forward to starting a new chapter in my life."
Detective Garda Cathy Houlihan told Judge Sean O'Donnabhain that Mr Murray denied all the allegations of abuse by him when they were put to him by gardaí in mid 2012. The offences first came to light in August of 2011 when the victim disclosed the details of the abuse to her relatives.
Mr Murray admitted seeking a meeting with the woman's relatives when the abuse allegations were first made. He stated that he only admitted touching the young woman's private parts to her relatives because he was "scared for his life at the meeting."
In sentencing Judge O’Donnabhain noted the detrimental impact of the trial and media coverage on the victim. Taking Mr Murray's advanced age, health complaints and lack of previous convictions in to account he imposed a four year custodial sentence suspending the last three years of the sentence.
He described the woman's victim impact statement as "eloquent and instructive".
"There was no plea of guilty and very little by way of remorse. It is noticeable the effect the coverage and having to give evidence had on the girl. You (John Murray) put her through that."
There were emotional scenes outside Court No 2 in Washington Street Courthouse after the sentence was handed down. The complainant and her family cried and hugged before they left the courthouse.
Speaking outside the court the young woman said that all she ever wanted was to be believed and that she was hopeful of getting on with her life. She thanked her family, gardaí, the Sexual Violence Centre, and Support After Crime Services and the Jury and Court for their time.
Spokeswoman for the Sexual Violence Centre, Mary Crilly, told reporters of her respect for the young woman who had summoned up the courage to deliver her own victim impact statement.
"It took great courage to stand up there this morning and read her own victim report. John Murray has been held to account now. It was always about her being believed and him being held to account. Being believed is hugely important. This is a message to people how ever old the (abuser's) are, however much time has passed let the guards know, try and do something, try and get justice."
Murray was first elected to Cork Corporation in 1985. He was re-elected in 1991, but lost his seat in 1999. He was elected Lord Mayor of Cork in 1993 and was involved in local politics for much of his adult life.
The granddaughter of a former Lord Mayor of Cork admitted she feels "relief" that the man who abused her has finally died.
Elaine Murray spoke for the first time after describing a row within Cork City Council over a message of sympathy at the death of former Lord Mayor John Murray (85) last weekend as being like "a slap in the face."
"I want the people of Cork to know that I am his granddaughter." she said.
When the former Lord Mayor was convicted of abuse charges three years ago, Ms Murray's identity was protected and it was not made public that she was the victim. Ms Murray contacted Cork's RedFm's Neil Prendeville Show after saying she was "very, very disappointed" at a renewed controversy over John Murray who was jailed in 2013 after being convicted before Cork Circuit Criminal Court of abusing her.
"There are members of the Murray family who are grieving today," she said, "But there are other members of the Murray family who are not. There has been such a divide in our family that for other members of the family this is a relief. It is a relief that he is gone."
Murray died last Saturday in Marymount Hospice after a long illness. His Requiem Mass and funeral was held in The Lough. However, only three of Mr Murray's children were listed on his death notice. Two of his children, a daughter and son, the aunt and father of Ms Murray, were not mentioned. Both had staunchly supported her when she told Gardaí about what her grandfather had done to her.
"He never threatened me (to stay quiet)." she said "He (John Murray) didn't have to. It was an intimidation tactic. He was a powerful man - a big, strong man. He was in his 60s but he was very fit."
She finally told her parents what had happened after her grandmother's death. The young woman insisted that her grandfather admitted what he had done at a family meeting - but later retracted what he had said and insisted the comments were only made because he was in fear of his life.
During the 2013 trial, the Murray family were split, with half supporting the innocence of the former Lord Mayor and half supporting Ms Murray. Ms Murray then had to contact Cork City Council after the conviction to request that a portrait of her grandfather be removed from City Hall. This was done though she admitted nothing can be done about the numerous plaques and memorials around the city that still bear his name. "I know you cannot air-brush him from history." she said.
Ms Murray said the row over the expression of sympathy in City Hall was "very upsetting" because she felt his death and funeral would pass without comment. "Three years has passed (since the conviction). I got a lot of help and support and I can talk about it now."
The brother of Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, has defended the decision to offer a vote of sympathy to the family of the former Lord Mayor convicted of sexually assaulting a child. Councillor Sean Martin proposed a vote of sympathy to the entire Murray family. It was passed despite one councillor, Councillor Chris O'Leary, expressing his concern.
When John Murray was convicted in 2013 of sexually assaulting a teen following a high profile Cork Circuit Criminal Court trial, a portrait of him was removed from City Hall.
Murray had served as Lord Mayor of Cork in 1993 and had led a Cork delegation to the US in 1994. The former Labour councillor, who ran a taxi business, contested the charges and never expressed remorse to his victim as he was jailed for 12 months.
But Mr Martin said the expression of sympathy was for the entire Murray family who had themselves suffered so much. He flatly rejected suggestions that the sympathy in any way minimised or condoned what Murray himself had done. "What he did was wrong. But there is hurt on all sides here" he said. "His family have suffered through this as well."
"It's a tragedy all round and I think it's very sad that that hurt will be carried by members of his family into another generation." Councillor Martin added.
However, the City Council stance had been criticised by Rape Crisis Network Ireland. They warned that the lack of protocol to stop such an expression of sympathy because there was no system to halt it if some councillors were concerned at its impact was absolutely no defence.
"It is simply not appropriate." an RCNE official said. "The question is, what kind of message does this send out?"
Murray died in Marymount Hospice in Cork on Saturday after a long illness. He had served nine months of his sentence before being released early.
His victim had requested, through Councillor O'Leary, that no official representative of Cork City Council attend the funeral as is traditional for former Lord Mayors.
A jury convicted Murray in 2013 on five of the six charges he faced after deliberating for over six hours. He was found not guilty on a sixth charge.
The former Lord Mayor remained emotionless as he was led away to begin his sentence. Judge Sean O'Donnabhain remarked that the former politician had not shown much remorse towards the victim. The girl said she was left shocked and frightened by the assaults which happened in Murray's car, in a pub toilet and at another premises in Cork.
Murray of Gregg Road, Cork vehemently denied all the charges over various dates between 1996 and 1998. The first incident occurred three years after he was Lord Mayor but while he was still serving on Cork City Council. Murray broke down in evidence as he said the claims left him "disgusted" and "sick to the stomach."