The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Sex predator guilty over attacks on three women
Aformer company director has been found guilty of sex attacks on three women.
Ruairi Murphy, 29, preyed on the women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at locations in Fife between June 2009 and July 2018.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Murphy subjected his victims to physical and verbal abuse.
Jurors heard how Murphy, of Dunfermline, also used sex play devices on them against their wishes and ignored their pleas for him to stop.
One woman told prosecutor Mark Mohammed of an occasion in May 2015 when Murphy raped her at a house in Dunfermline.
The woman, 28, described how Murphy used a sex toy.
Prosecutor Mark Mohammed said: “Did you want him to do that?”
The woman replied: “No. I asked him to stop but he just kept going.”
The story emerged at the end of a four-day trial yesterday in which jurors returned guilty verdicts to four charges of rape and one charge of indecent assault.
Another of Murphy’s victims, a 28-year-old woman, told Mr Mohammed: “We were lying on the bed watching TV. He took my pyjama bottoms and my underwear off and then started touching me.
“I believe I told him that I didn’t want to have sex.”
Mr Mohammed said: “Did you try to get him off ?”
She replied: “I tried to but he had a couple of stone on me and I couldn’t get him off.”
The woman added: “I was tightly tied up. I couldn’t do anything.”
Murphy’s third victim told the court how he intimidated her by calling her names.
The woman, 22, said he wanted her to engage in sex games.
“He then wanted to have sex and I said I didn’t want to. He kept pushing. Eventually I gave in and did it.”
Murphy told the court he had his own company and worked as a web developer.
Companies House states that Murphy was a director of a firm called the Ruairi Murphy Group, which was dissolved in June 2021.
He told defence advocate Ronnie Renucci QC that the sex with the women was consensual.
Murphy told the court: “We were experimenting.”
He later said: “I would never be physically aggressive towards a female.”
Yesterday, jurors returned guilty verdicts to all charges.
Mr Mohammed submitted victim impact statements to judge Lady Wise. She also heard that Murphy had previous convictions.
Lady Wise placed Murphy on the sex offenders register.
She said: “Before considering sentence, I am going to call for a criminal justice social work report which will include the necessary risk assessment.
“In light of the seriousness of the crimes for which you have been convicted of, I am revoking bail and remanding you in custody pending the sentencing diet.”
Murphy will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on June 9.
“I tried to but he had a couple of stone on me and I couldn’t get him off