Samaritans volunteer left ‘really shook’ by bomb call
Inmate denies false explosives threat made against the Justice Minister
a samaritans volunteer said she was left “really shook” after receiving a call saying explosives had been planted at the house of the Justice Minister and her family.
Michael Murray, 52, has pleaded not guilty to one count of knowingly making a false report giving rise to an apprehension for the safety of someone else while he was imprisoned in the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise on March 7, 2021.
His trial opened yesterday and is expected to last a week.
The volunteer told Sean Gillane, prosecuting, that she was on duty on March 7, 2021 when the phone rang at around 8.30pm.
She answered and after a few moments of silence heard a male voice say “can you take a message?” The woman agreed and the caller said: “This is the Irish National Liberation Organisation. Explosives have been planted at the home of the Minister of Justice and her family. The password is Red October. This is to do with a court case happening in Dublin tomorrow”.
The woman told the court the voice spoke “slowly, carefully and calmly”.
She said it didn’t sound like the voice of a teenager or someone in their 20s and she thought it could be someone with a Dublin accent.
She said she was “really shook” after the call and called her supervisor before ringing emergency services.
She made a statement to gardai the following day.
Under cross examination, the woman told Garret Baker, defending, that she could not see the phone number that made the call when she answered.
She added that there was no way for them to know how long the caller had been waiting and it had lasted about two minutes.
She said that usual procedure would have been to call emergency services before ringing the supervisor.
Earlier yesterday in his opening speech, Mr Gillane told the jury the fact Murray was an inmate at the time was “neither here nor there” but it is an important factual matter in the case.
He also said Helen Mcentee was Justice Minister when the call was made.
Counsel said an operation was “swiftly put in place” following the call, and the minister’s home was searched but no
Explosives have been planted at the home of the Minister for Justice SAMARITANS CALLER MADE ON MARCH 7, 2021
explosives or anything untoward was recovered. Mr Gillane said the jury will hear that the call was traced back to Midlands Prison and further analysis of the phone systems there ultimately traced the call back to Murray’s cell.
Counsel said Murray, formerly of Seafield Road, Killiney, Dublin, was the sole occupant of that prison cell and the sole occupant on the night in question.
He said the investigation continued and the accused was arrested and questioned.
Mr Gillane told the jury: “You will hear what he said to gardai when the allegations were put to him.”
The trial continues before Patricia Ryan and a jury.