Sean Daniel Murphy, 57, says he was drunk, but admits making abusive comments in call to senator’s office

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A Sydney police officer said he wanted to rape a relative of Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young during a threatening phone call made to her electorate office, court documents show.

Sean Daniel Murphy, a senior constable with NSW Police, allegedly made the offensive remarks during a brief call to Senator Hanson-Young’s Adelaide office in July.

Court documents released on Tuesday show a Greens campaign manager answered the 57-year-old’s call before the officer asked: “Can I have a picture of the senator’s [relative]?”

He was told no and asked why he would want such a picture, to which he replied in an aggressive manner that he wanted to sexually assault the relative, according to the tendered factsheet.

Murphy told federal police in a recorded interview three weeks after the call he didn’t know if he had made the offensive comment, as he had been drunk.

Sarah Hanson-Young 'horrified' after police officer charged over threatening call Read more

But he recalled saying Hanson-Young “needed to get fucked”, asking for the relative’s photo and saying: “Do you know under Islam you can fuck nine-year-old girls?”

The officer also admitted to police he had made a similar call to the senator’s Canberra office on 4 July.

Murphy is charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

His barrister told the Downing Centre local court on Tuesday his client was “contrite without relief” and offered to apologise in person to Hanson-Young.

“He is appalled by his conduct. He immediately admitted what he had done,” barrister John Davidson said.

Davidson said Murphy had been receiving psychiatric treatment in hospital for post-traumatic stress disorder after three decades of police work on the street.

The court was told Murphy had received two bravery awards over his 36-year police career.

“He’s seen more blood and mayhem than perhaps anyone else can imagine,” he said.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson said the difficulty was the alleged offending had been “quite distressing” to the people concerned.

“There is no issue with that,” Davidson said. “He is no threat. He will never be a threat.”

Atkinson agreed to place Murphy on bail on condition he not contact any witnesses or the senator’s electorate office and that he live either at a Campsie address or the hospital where he is being treated.

NSW Police said on Tuesday Murphy was currently suspended.

The matter is next listed for 1 February.