Phyllis was raped and strangled, court hears
Injuries to the body of Phyllis Murphy, the young Kildare woman found naked and strangled in a wooded area near the Wicklow Gap more than 22 years ago, were consistent with rape, the state pathologist Dr John Harbison has told the trial of a former army sergeant accused of her murder.
Phyllis Murphy had 25 injuries including bruising and abrasions to her head, face, neck, arms and legs, the state pathologist said, but she died from manual strangulation.
In the Central Criminal Court, John Crerar (54), a father-of-five of Woodside Park, Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Philomena Murphy (23), known as Phyllis, on a date unknown between 22 December 1979 and 18 January 1980 within the state.
The prosecution alleges that the re-examination of blood and other samples taken at the time of the killing "points" to his guilt.
Ms Murphy, who was just over five feet in height, had defensive injuries on her arms and wrist, a post-mortem examination carried out by Dr Harbison showed.
This suggested that she may have tried to ward off blows from her attacker.
The pathologist said that one pattern of bruising on her left temple was consistent with marks from a boot, such as the parallel lines in Doc Marten boots.
There was also extensive bruising on the left side of her skull, although there was no evidence of a massive injury or fracture to it.
Dr Harbison said he found what he considered to be a small but very significant bruise of the left vagus nerve in the neck.
He found that violent compression of the nerve had caused the heart to stop. The cause of death was vagal inhibition, a medical term used to describe heart stoppage.
His conclusion was that Phyllis Murphy died from manual strangulation, the compression of her neck by both hands or just one hand.
He pointed out that the mechanism of strangulation can vary. "In the case of Ms Murphy, if it’s any consolation to her family, I consider that she probably died of vagal inhibition. This is a sudden stoppage of the heart caused by compression of the vagal nerve," he said.
Other than the bruise that revealed the vagal injury, there were other injuries to the neck, he said. According to Dr Harbison, "all of them indicate violent compression of the neck for some seconds at least before the heart was stopped, even a minute or so."
Dr Harbison said that bruising on the inside of the thighs and knees was consistent with forcible parting of the legs, consistent with an attempt to rape.
Bruising on the vaginal wall and beneath the skin in the pubic area, combined with a positive finding of semen in the vagina was consistent with "sexual intercourse, and in view of the injuries, hardly with consent, in order words, with rape."
