A FATHER of three was given a fully suspended three year jail sentence after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a doctor who he wrongly believed had molested his then partner during an examination at University Hospital Limerick.
Nathan Murphy, (33), with an address at Belfield Court, Farranshone, Limerick, admitted the offence before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
The court heard that, on September 22, 2019, Murphy’s then partner attended the hospital and requested a procedure but was told it was not possible on the day.
Instead, the woman agreed to have an internal gynaecological examination, which was performed by a registrar, with a midwife present.
The court heard that Murphy told Gardai after his arrest that his partner arrived at his house in a distressed state and said she had come from an examination at the hospital.
Murphy told Gardai he believed his partner had been sexually assaulted and that he went straight to the hospital to confront the doctor who performed the woman’s examination.
“I was in the doctor’s face, I was screaming, I said I was going to kill him, I didn’t mean it,” Murphy told Gardai.
John O’Sullivan, prosecuting barrister, told the court: “He (Murphy) bizarrely thought his partner had been sexually assaulted and there is not the slightest foundation to that”.
Murphy’s partner told Gardai she had no complaint about the examination.
Mr O’Sullivan said Murphy had gone to the hospital and waited in a room for the doctor to return.
When the doctor and two colleagues entered the room Murphy held a chair up over his head and threatened to throw it at the doctor.
Mr O’Sullivan said Murphy repeatedly told the doctor, “I will find you and I will kill you” as he was removed from the hospital by security personnel.
Murphy said that, later on he returned to the hospital to apologise to the doctor but that he was told he was barred, however the hospital and the doctor told Gardai they were not aware of any attempts at apology.
Murphy had 32 previous convictions including for burglary, theft, criminal damage and road traffic offences.
Murphy’s barrister, Eimear Carey, said he had “completely misinterpreted” the situation on the day, “and he saw red”.
“He didn’t mean to put anyone in fear, he is regretful and remorseful,” Ms Carey said.
Offering mitigation, Ms Carey said Murphy was in “the throws of a drug addiction at the time”, and that Murphy had sole custody of his three children after he had turned his life around. Murphy is no longer in a relationship with the woman, the court heard.
“It must have been very frightening for the doctors who were caring for expectant mothers. He publicly apologises, he is ashamed and mortified – it was a moment of madness,” Ms Carey said.
The barrister asked Judge Colin Daly not to jail the defendant and “to allow Mr Murphy to continue looking after his children”.
Judge Daly noted staff at the hospital would have been “pressurised enough without such threats to their personal safety, and threats such as this were completely unwarranted”.
The victim did not provide a statement outlining the impact of Murphy’s threat against him, however the judge noted, “it must have been deeply upsetting” for the doctor.
In weighing up the aggravating factors as well as Murphy’s guilty plea, remorse, cooperation with gardai, Murphy’s family circumstances, and that he had overcome his drug addiction, the judge imposed a fully suspended three-year sentence for three years.
The judge ordered Murphy to keep the peace and not reoffend, with liberty to re-enter the sentence if he breaches these terms.
