A man was sentenced to 22 months today for assaulting a woman at a bus stop by strangling and punching her. Ryan Gerard Murray pleaded guilty to charges of non-fatal strangulation and assault causing actual bodily harm on May 30 last year. The judge, Patrick Lynch KC, announced that Murray, who is homeless, will serve half of the term in prison and the other half on supervised release at Belfast Crown Court.
The incident unfolded when a couple driving along Antrim Road in the northern part of the city witnessed a woman lying on the ground with a man on top of her at a bus stop. Initially, the female driver thought the man was performing CPR, but upon closer inspection, they realized he was strangling the woman. The couple then saw another vehicle parked nearby honking its horn.
As the two parties engaged in a heated argument at the bus stop, discussing money and the woman asking Murray to leave her alone, the situation escalated. Murray grabbed the woman’s arm as she tried to walk away and punched her on the left side of her face. One of the male motorists intervened to protect the woman until the police arrived.
Both Murray and the woman were found to be intoxicated by the officers. The woman reported to the police that Murray had strangled her but did not further pursue the matter. Murray remained silent during his arrest and interview but later admitted to the charges.
During the court proceedings, it was clarified that the relationship between Murray and the victim did not involve domestic abuse. The prosecutor highlighted that a significant portion of Murray’s prior convictions were related to substance abuse issues. Murray’s solicitor acknowledged the impact of addiction on his client’s life and expressed Murray’s genuine remorse and commitment to changing his ways.
Judge Lynch emphasized the severe nature of the offenses and the lasting physical and psychological effects of non-fatal strangulation on victims. Murray’s progress in addressing his addiction problems while in custody was noted as a positive step.
