Court evidence of an Islamist-inspired knife attack by an Irish boy on a military chaplain indicate that distressing events in his life combined with online radicalisation fuelled by violent jihadist videos and propaganda.
The youth had a lot of content on his devices and notebooks about the Islamic State terror group, including beheadings.
He had a particular interest in Mohammed Emwazi or ‘Jihad John’, a British national known for such atrocities in Syria.
The boy, now aged 17, has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Fr Paul Murphy at the entrance of Renmore Barracks, Galway city, on August 15, 2024.
Then aged 16, he repeatedly knifed the priest, who was wearing civilian clothes, with an eight-inch “hunting” knife, inflicting seven serious wounds on Fr Murphy's left and right arms and hands.
CCTV videos shown in the Central Criminal Court depict someone approaching the priest as he stopped his jeep outside the gates of the barracks.
Detective Sergeant Paul McNulty of Galway City Garda Station said that, according to the priest, the boy said: “Excuse me, sir, do you have a minute to talk to me?”
When Fr Murphy lowered his window about halfway, the boy took out a knife and “lunged” at him and started stabbing.
CCTV images show Fr Murphy’s jeep moving forward, through the gates, but his attacker held onto the moving vehicle and continued to stab, until the car came to a stop some 20 metres inside.
It was only when soldiers shouted at the attacker to stop and fired five warning shots that he became distracted.
Other personnel brought him to the ground and gardaí were called.
When gardaí searched him they found a scabbard for a large knife attached to the inside of his tracksuit bottoms.
He told gardaí: “That’s the cover for my knife”.
Det Sgt McNulty said the weapon, found at the scene, was a “hunting knife with an eight-inch serrated blade”.
It was purchased online and delivered to the boy’s home, where he lived with his mother, in November 2023.
Action 'in protest' at Irish Defence Forces
During an initial interview, the boy told gardaí that his action was in “protest” at the Irish Defence Forces “and their work in Mali and all the stuff in Islam”.
The detective explained that Irish forces served in the West African country as trainers for the State army and left the country by September 2023.
When gardaí searched the family home on foot of a court warrant in the early hours of August 16, they saw a poster in the boy’s bedroom with Arabic writing proclaiming 'Allahu' Akbar or ‘God is Great’.
Det Sgt McNulty said there was also an Islamic State flag and a notebook with writing in it, including graphic sketches depicting beheadings.
Micheal Delaney SC, prosecuting, put it to the detective that the accused “reverted to the Islamic faith at age 15”, which the garda said was correct.
While not explained in court, “revert” is often used in Islam to describe a “convert” and the act of converting to Islam.
Mr Delaney said the boy “regularly attended Friday prayers” at a mosque.
Three devices — a laptop, mobile phone and ipad — were taken away for forensic examination and production orders were made to Google, TikTok, and Instagram for the boy's social media posts.
'Radicalised Islamic content'
Mr Delaney said it was sufficient to say that the analysis identified a lot of content of a “radicalised Islamic mindset”.
Det Sgt McNulty said there was content in the boy's devices “supporting the IS terror group”, adding there was content of particularly graphic beheadings and IS propaganda videos.
These included videos featuring Mohammed Emwazi or ‘Jihad John’, a British national infamous for his atrocities against hostages in Syria.
Det Sgt McNulty said the boy had a phone on him when arrested, but refused to give the PIN to access it.
The garda said the boy did talk about mental health issues he was experiencing, namely “depression and anger issues”. He said the boy said: “I lose control of myself."
He said when asked was depression or anger involved in the attack, the boy said: “That wasn’t depression, that was anger. I don’t know what made me do it.”
The garda said the boy hadn’t intended to target a priest and that it was “totally indiscriminate” — and just wanted to attack a member of the Defence Forces.
Det Sgt McNulty told Sean Gillane SC, for the defence, that the boy had no convictions and was not known to gardaí.
Mr Gillane said the end of 2023 was difficult for his client in that his parents’ marriage broke down, his father left the home, and his mental health suffered during 2023 and into 2024.
He said he had “undiagnosed” autism, which had only been identified recently on foot of a court direction for an assessment.
He said the boy found it “difficult” in school and was a “bit isolated”.
Sought an online 'community'
Mr Gillane said that as his parents were divorcing, his client sought an “online community”, but said the people he found were the “opposite” of a community.
He said his client became “further and further isolated” and that the online material increased his radicalisation with its “poisonous belief system”, and that the boy was “vulnerable”.
Mr Gillane said all of this “appears to have led to the catastrophic” actions that day, a revenge attack on the Defence Forces based on "misconceived" notions.
He said the diagnosis of autism spectrum might assist the court in its understanding, citing the “rigidity of thinking, fixated thinking and impulsive actions” — but added this did not excuse the boy's actions.
