Wexford man described as ‘danger to young girls’ jailed for 11-and-a-half years

A convicted sex offender described by a High Court judge as a “danger to young girls” has been jailed for 11-and-a-half years for the rape of a teenage girl.

Richard Murphy, aged 48, of Rectory Heights, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, was convicted of rape and oral rape following a Central Criminal Court trial sitting in Waterford in June.

The court heard that Murphy raped the then 16-year-old girl after finding her and his son in the garden of the house next door to where he was living as part of his bail conditions.

Murphy was on bail at the time for other sexual offences involving young girls, for which he has since been convicted and is currently serving a sentence.

The court was told that the injured party, Angelique Schreuder, waived her right to anonymity to allow Murphy to be named in reports of the case.

Sentencing Murphy, Ms Justice Karen O’Connor said the offending represented an “escalation” and described his behaviour as “predatory”.

“This man, in the view of this court, is a danger to young girls,” the judge said.

Ms Justice O’Connor said there was “limited mitigation” in the case, noting that Murphy does not accept the jury’s verdicts.

She imposed a sentence of 11 years and six months for the rape count, with the sentence to run consecutive to the sentence he is already serving. An eight-year sentence for oral rape was imposed concurrently.

The judge extended legal aid in the event of an appeal and wished Ms Schreuder well for the future, describing her as a “very brave young woman”.