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Belfast mother-of-four who sexually abused 13-year-old boy handed jail sentence

Isobel Murphy (46) was handed a 27-month sentence

Today at 17:00

A mother-of-four who sexually abused a 13-year-old boy in her east Belfast home was sent to jail today.

Isobel Murphy (46) was handed a 27-month sentence by Judge Peter Irvine KC which was divided equally between prison and licence.

Speaking after the sentence was passed, a relative of the teenager said the term “wasn’t long enough” and revealed that the boy continues to suffer as a result of what happened to him.

Despite initial denials, Murphy (46) pleaded guilty to a total of six charges she committed over a month-long period.

She admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of sexual communication with a child.

All of the offences occurred between May 1 and June 2, 2021, in Murphy’s former home in east Belfast. She now has an address at Central Avenue in Bangor.

Crown prosecutor Sam Magee KC revealed that Murphy was aged 44 at the time of offending, while her young victim was 13.

On June 16, 2021, the teenage boy spoke to the PSNI and told officers that, in the month prior, Murphy had engaged in sexual activity with him, both physically in person and via sexual explicit text messages.

He said the abuse began at the start of May, when Murphy told him she was sexually aroused by him and gave him a mobile phone, which she topped up with credit.

The teenager told police Murphy made sure that he had the Snapchat app on the phone and told him to keep it concealed.

Mr Magee said that, during the relevant period, Murphy engaged in “sexually explicit conversations as well as physical activity” with the teenager when he was in her home.

The abuse occurred on a living room sofa and floor, and on some occasions Murphy’s children were present in the home.

Mr Magee also spoke of sexual communication between Murphy and the 13-year-old and revealed that, when their phones were examined by police, messages and other evidence were recovered.

He said that between May 29 and June 1, 2021, there were 350 Snapchat messages exchanged, whilst there was also a video she had sent him of her performing a solo sex act on herself with a sex toy.

Mr Magee revealed Murphy’s offending emerged when the boy’s mother found the phone given to him by Murphy.

She took the phone, read some of the Snapchat messages and alerted the police.

When Murphy was arrested, she was taken to Musgrave Street police station, where she admitted giving the boy a phone and admitted they messaged each other.

She denied, however, sending sexually explicit messages and a video of herself, and denied any sexual activity between them.

Defence barrister Frank O’Donoghue expressed, on Murphy’s behalf, her “abject remorse” for the “utter madness on her part”.

Saying Murphy has had a “difficult but otherwise blemish-free life”, Mr O’Donoghue spoke of the consequences of her offending, which has included social services’ involvement with her children and having to move away from her former home.

Mr O’Donoghue added that his client was “of limited intellect”, has suffered stress as a result of the court proceedings and was remorseful for her actions.

Passing sentence, Judge Irvine spoke of the impact Murphy’s behaviour has had on the teenage boy, including psychological harm.

Judge Irvine told her: “The victim was clearly vulnerable by reason of his age and there was a sustained course of contact carried out on your behalf.

“This amounted to grooming and manipulative behaviour.”

As well as jailing Murphy, Judge Irvine also made her the subject of a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and placed her on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Murphy was then led from the dock by prison staff and taken into custody.

Speaking after sentence was passed, the victim’s aunt said: “If she were a man she would have got longer — that sentence wasn’t long enough. She should have got longer.

“We heard in court about the stress she has suffered, but what about the child she abused?

“He’s coming 16 now. He’s had to move schools and his mental health is not good.”