Dean Thomas Murray jailed over callous assault on ex-partner

Taken hostage and viciously assaulted by her ex for 24 hours, a woman was told she “did not deserve a quick death”. Warning: Distressing

A Logan man held his ex-partner hostage and viciously assaulted her over 24 hours, telling her she would be tortured for three days because she “did not deserve a quick death”.

Dean Thomas Murray, 36, bragged to friends through text messages that his former partner could no longer hear because he had “flogged her” so hard and that he was going to burn them both alive, the Brisbane District Court was told.

Prosecutor Russell Hood said in the lead up to his protracted assault, Murray sent his ex a photo of himself holding a kitchen knife, and other violent texts telling her he would “bust the f--k out of her” and rape and torture her housemates.

The court heard this was just six weeks after a domestic violence order was put in place following their break up in March 2019.

Mr Hood told the court the violence escalated just after midnight on May 12, when Murray called her and demanded she pick him up from his Regents Park home.

As they drove around over the next 24 hours, Murray repeatedly slapped her, choked her until she thought her “neck would break” and hit her across the head with a wine bottle.

Mr Hood said that at one point the woman begged Murray to let her go, telling him she would not tell anyone what he had done.

“He laughed, he refused to let her go, he threatened to torture for three days and then kill her,” Mr Hood said.

“He told her that he was not going to kill her quick, that he was going to torture her for days. He told her she did not deserve a quick death.”

The tortured woman tried to take her own life because she believed it was the only way “to make it quick”. Image: Generic

The court heard that Murray’s assault was so vicious that at one point, the woman tried to take her own life because she believed it was the only way “to make it quick”.

Murray was still messaging friends about his horrific plans when one of them contacted Triple-0.

Queensland Police tracked Murray where they found the woman exhausted and disorientated, with extensive bruising and blood coming from her nose.

The court heard that Murray was belligerent with officers telling them they were “biased against men when it came to domestic violence”.

Murray faced Brisbane District Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to multiple domestic violence offences including deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm, choking, contravening a DVO and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of supplying dangerous drugs.

The court heard that even after he was behind bars, Murray called the woman almost 1200 times in a bid to pressure her into dropping the charges.

Barrister Penelope White told the court that Murray was “ashamed” about what he did and that he was under the influence of ice at the time.

“He really is ashamed and disgusted in himself for the behaviour he took part in,” Ms White said.

“At the time he was heavily under the influence of methylamphetamine.”

Ms White said Murray had a troubled childhood growing up in a house where drugs “were everywhere” and he had struggled with drug addiction.

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“At the time he went into custody he was 52kg, and he’s now 129kg – that is an indication in my submission of the addiction that he did have,” she said.

Judge Jennifer Rosengren was scathing of Murray’s offending saying it was a “gross abuse of trust” and that it had serious physical and emotional effects on the woman.

“This would have been nothing short of terrifying, it started just after midnight and it continued for nearly 24 hours,” Judge Rosengren said.

Murray was sentenced to 5.5 years’ jail and disqualified from driving for six months.

After almost two years served in pre-sentence custody, he will be eligible for parole next month.

*For 24-hour support phone Queensland’s DVConnect on 1800 811 811 or MensLine on 1800 600 636, NSW’s Domestic Violence Line on 1800 656 463 or the national hotline 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).