Mentally ill Scott James Murphy sentenced to detention for attempt murder using cable ties

A psychotic man who used pre-looped cable ties to try to kill a man in an unprovoked attack has learned how long he will spend in detention for the crime.

A mentally ill man who used cable ties to try to kill a “completely blameless” victim in an unprovoked attack has been committed to detention for a further 10 years, a court has ruled.

Scott James Murphy, 58, was found not guilty of attempted murder by reason of his mental incompetence, but admitted the objective elements of the August 31, 2022, offending.

In her ruling, Supreme Court Justice Julie McIntyre said footage of the incident, at Workskil Australia in Whyalla, showed Murphy entering the office in a “rudimentary disguise”, carrying a briefcase from which he removed a number of cable ties which had been pre-joined in a loop.

“The defendant approached the victim from behind and placed the lopped cable ties over the victim’s head and around his neck,” she said.

“He attempted to pull the cables tight, but the victim was able to place his fingers between the cable tie and his neck.”

She said the victim was able to remove the cable ties but Murphy “produced a folding knife from his pocket and waved it around, threatening to stab and killed the victim”.

Throughout the ordeal, Murphy hurled abuse at the victim while making false claims.

Justice McIntyre said the victim was “completely blameless” and had been dealing with a client at the time. The victim managed to escape with the help of colleagues, while the customer fled outside.

Mentally ill man Scott James Murphy used cable ties to try and kill a “completely blameless” victim. Picture: iStock

Murphy left but was arrested at home soon after the incident, and was “highly agitated and distressed, yelling paranoid and persecutory ideas” about pedophiles and government conspiracies.

In setting the limiting term for detention – a period of time equal to a prison term had he been found guilty of the crime – Justice McIntyre said Murphy had a “long history of schizophrenia with associated psychotic illness which is considered to be treatment resistant”.

She said the offending was a “serious example” of its type.

“The attack was unprovoked and unheralded and to that extent the victim was extremely vulnerable,” she said.

“People are entitled to attend public places and their workplace without experiencing the type of violence that the defendant perpetrated on that day.”

Justice McIntyre said Murphy continued to hold delusional beliefs and presented an “ongoing risk of violent offending”.

She imposed a limiting term of 10 years, seven months and 15 days, reduced from 12 years to account for the time already spent in detention.