THE BROTHER OF convicted rapist Larry Murphy has spoken of his inability to understand how anyone could “carry out a crime like that”.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One yesterday, Tom Murphy said that he was being ostracised in his home town of Baltinglass, Co Wicklow. Murphy said that people who knew him were turning away from him in the street because he is Larry’s brother.

He emphasised that Larry would not be staying with him following his release from prison three days ago, and said that their family has been destroyed by him. Tom said Larry wouldn’t tell him the truth about what he had done, and had refused to get counselling. He said:

A person who doesn’t want to help themselves, can’t be helped.

Tom Murphy said it was time for the press to allow the woman who was assaulted and raped by Larry Murphy 10 years ago to get on with her life, and that she deserved an apology from her attacker: “That woman deserves those two words: I’m sorry.”

When asked by the presenter, Charlie Bird, if he had ever spoken to his brother about a number of women who remain missing in Ireland, such as Jo Jo Dullard, Tom Murphy said he did ask him, and Larry said he had nothing to do with it and couldn’t believe he would ask that.

He said he could believe his brother didn’t have any connection to the disappearances, adding:

If he is guilty of these crimes, I’d like him to be caught for it and pay the penalty for it.