Child rapist may be behind bars for ever (From Worcester News)

Child rapist may be behind bars for ever

7:36am Friday 19th October 2007 in

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A RAPIST who launched horrific sex attacks on four teenage girls in Droitwich may never be released from jail.

Michael Murray raped a 12-year-old in church yard and a 15-year-old under a canal bridge. But the offences did not to light until he was questioned for abusing two drunken girls, both aged 14, as they tried to recover from hangovers, Worcester Crown Court heard yesterday.

One victim he groped, the other he had full sex with after stripping her, said prosecutor Martin Butterworth.

Murray wrote to police from his cell saying he wanted to admit historic offences which had never previously come to light. Passing an indeterminate sentence for public protection, Judge Andrew Geddes told him he must serve a minimum of five and half years in prison before the parole board can consider his release.

But he added, "It's conceivable you could spent the rest of your life in jail.

"These were very serious rapes of children."

The judge concluded after reading psychiatric report that Murray, born in Worcester but now living in Tewkesbury, posed a serious risk of significant harm in the future.

Murray, now 20, first struck in September 2002 when he was 16 and at school in Droitwich.

He met another pupil in a town park before going with her and another young couple to St Nicholas Church, said Mr Butterworth.

Murray suddenly attacked the victim as they sat on a churchyard bench. The girl kept quiet about the rape because she was scared her parents might seek revenge .

In December 2003 Murray went for a walk with a 15-year-old and her cousin, aged 11, along the canal in Droitwich.

He gave the cousin a mobile phone to play games on before pinning his victim against a brick wall under a bridge and raping her.

Murray warned her, "you tell anybody and I'll get you".

A complaint was made to police in March 2004 but no prosecution was brought after Murray denied the offence.

The defendant and a group of youngsters got drunk in July last year in Droitwich on vodka, said Mr Butterworth.

At a house Murray put his hand up a 14-year-old's skirt and touched her bottom. When she protested he made her perform a sex act on him. Another 14-year-old he had intercourse as she lay "almost comatose" on a bed.

Arrested for the house attacks he asked police to visit him in jail and confessed to the earlier offences.

Murray admitted two rapes, sexual assault, and sexual activity with a child.

A charge of witness intimidation was ordered to lie on the file. A psychiatric report assessed Murray as a public danger.

Michael Aspinall, defending, said he was not suffering from mental illness and had shown some remorse. He had attempted suicide before calling in the police because "he couldn't live with his own guilt".

Mr Aspinall added, "the rapes were not aggravated by serious injury or degradation but I concede they were serious assaults. He would have gone unpunished without his own actions to start the ball rolling,"

He asked for a determinate sentence because there was no evidence that Murray would repeat any rape offence. But he was overruled by the judge.