The Daily Star Ireland
A 39-year-old man from Co Offaly has been sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in prison for coercively controlling, raping, assaulting, and falsely imprisoning his former partner. Barry Murphy, residing at Shamrock House, Grogan, Ballycumber, was found guilty by a jury on multiple charges including three counts of raping his partner, Lisa O’Meara.
The jury also convicted him of coercive control, assault, sexual assault, and false imprisonment. Outside the court, Ms. O’Meara encouraged other women in abusive relationships to “just leave,” emphasizing that the situation does not improve over time.
The Central Criminal Court was informed that these offenses occurred between February 2018 and July 2020, leaving Ms. O’Meara with serious injuries, including a fractured eye socket and a broken nose. Gardaí were alerted to the house in January 2020 after receiving concerns for Ms. O’Meara’s safety. Upon arrival, they found entrances blocked, and Ms. O’Meara had been taken away in a vehicle. By tracking Murphy’s phone, Gardaí located Ms. O’Meara 24 hours later, discovering her with extensive physical injuries.
Ms. O’Meara initially gave a videotaped statement to the Gardaí but later returned to the relationship. On one occasion, Murphy drove her to the Garda station to retract her statement. She finally escaped in July 2020, waiting until Murphy was asleep before fleeing in a taxi. She reported to Gardaí that she had no control over her life, as Murphy would lock the back door and take the key.
In her victim impact statement, Ms. O’Meara recounted how she had once been a happy and carefree young woman with a fulfilling life. However, Murphy had taken control and broken her down, leaving her feeling worthless and without confidence. She struggled to understand why Murphy would treat her this way if he truly loved her but acknowledged she would never get a genuine answer. The ordeal left her traumatized, suffering from flashbacks and PTSD.
Addressing Murphy in court, she expressed pride in herself for being present and looking forward to a bright future for herself and her children. She reminded Murphy that despite his belief that he was untouchable and that she would always be under his control, she had overcome his influence.
Prosecuting counsel Tim O’Leary stated that the case was classified as among the most severe of such offenses by the DPP. Defense counsel John Peart mentioned that his client did not accept the jury’s verdict and believed he was not guilty, describing the situation as “a domestic situation that got out of hand.”
Mr. Justice Kerida Naidoo sentenced Murphy to 15-and-a-half years, suspending the final year for a period of two years.
Ms. O’Meara expressed her satisfaction with the justice she received, calling it the best outcome from an awful situation. She hoped her case would inspire other women in similar situations to leave abusive relationships and seek justice. She advised women not to be afraid and to leave because the abuse does not improve, it only worsens. She urged women to speak up and was happy that justice had finally been served, saying she had been silenced for too long.
