Mr Davidson told the court his client began as a police officer in April 1982 and has not sought promotion in that time, working as a general duties officer for more than 30 years. Loading In that time, Mr Davidson said, his client was twice decorated for bravery, including for an incident where he almost lost his life trying to save someone else, and was assaulted more than 200 times. Mr Davidson said the senior constable developed severe post traumatic stress disorder and an alcohol problem amid the "mayhem" of the job. "After thirty years of serving the community, after thirty years of saving members of the community, through Your Honour he's now answerable to that community," Mr Davidson told Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson.

"This is a man that's contrite beyond belief, appalled by what he's done. "He has asked to meet with Sarah Hanson-Young personally, with lawyers present, and offer apologies which are very heartfelt. "Sarah Hanson-Young has declined that apology. That's a matter for her." According to agreed facts tendered to the court, Murphy drank a large amount of wine and became angry while watching Ms Hanson-Young on television. At the time, she was in the news after fellow senator David Leyonhjelm told her to "stop shagging men". Murphy looked up the phone number for Ms Hanson-Young's electorate office in Adelaide, and in a 16-second phone call asked for a photo of the Senator's young female relative.

He then described how he wanted to sexually assault the relative. The woman who answered the phone yelled at Murphy that he was disgusting and reported the call to Australian Federal Police. Ms Hanson-Young was also informed about what happened. In an interview with Federal Police officers in late July, Murphy admitted to making a second phone call the day after the first, where he called the Canberra electorate office and made similar comments. The staff member who answered that call hung up on him and did not inform police. Murphy said he may have made the sexualised comment about the child but he was so drunk he does not know. He recalled asking for a photo of the child, saying Ms Hanson-Young "needs to get f---ed" and saying "do you know under Islam you can f--- 9-year-old girls".