Shannon Murphy sentenced over sexual touching charge after night out in Maitland

A court heard a Port Stephens man that talked about open marriage and OnlyFans on a boozy night out in Maitland showed “recklessness” as he tried to engage in unwanted sexual contact with a woman.

Shannon Murphy was sentenced to a CCO for 2 years at Newcastle District Court on Friday. Supplied Amy Ziniak

A court has heard a Port Stephens man who told a woman he just met at a pub that he had an open marriage before looking at racy pictures of her OnlyFans account showed “recklessness” when he tried to engage in unwanted sexual contact with her at a friends unit at the end of the night.

Shannon Adrian Murphy, 35, pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual touching without consent relating to an incident on May 20 in Newcastle last year.

The court heard Murphy - who is the owner of a successful arborist business in the Hunter - had met a woman in her 20s and her group of friends on a night out in Maitland, where they had been drinking at the Grand Junction Hotel before moving to the Imperial Hotel.

Murphy told the woman that he was married but that he had an “open marriage” before he was shown photos of the woman from her OnlyFans page.

The court heard that the woman “felt he was attractive” although wasn’t her type, but that the pair engaged in close contact when Murphy pulled her onto his lap while he was playing pokies.

“I’ll let you call my wife so she can tell you its ok,” he said to the woman the court heard.

Murphy met the woman at the Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland. Google Maps

Murphy continued the night at the Imperial Hotel, Maitland before he and the woman went back to a friends unit. Google Maps

“I can be your sugar daddy.” She laughed off the comments saying, “You couldn’t afford it”.

The night progressed to a friends unit where things started to heat up and Murphy and the woman starting kissing but the court heard she froze when he picked her up and walked into a bedroom and started to remove her underpants before kissing her inner thigh.

The court heard she wanted him to stop but remained frozen until a friend opened the door and turned on a light and she looked at her with “wide eyes” and shook her head signalling she wanted to leave.

The woman and her friend left the unit shortly after and the following day she called police before Murphy attended Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged.

In Newcastle Local Court on Friday he appeared via video link as Judge Peter McGrath sentenced him to a two year community correction order (CCO) and was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

“Level of recklessness and knowing the victim was not consenting,” Judge McGrath said.

There were also conditions he abstain from alcohol, with the court hearing he had issues with alcoholism, and that he attend a GP for a mental health plan.

The court heard Murphy committed the offence while he was on two previous CCOs for charges of assault and intentionally distributing images of a former partner.

Murphy was emotionless as the woman gave a victim impact statement telling the court it was the “night that changed my life”, praising a friend who had come in and “saved her” that night.

“After what happened I was so frightened he would find me again after being released from prison,” she read.

While Murphy escaped jail time over these offences, the court heard he was bail refused over another matter, his lawyer telling the court once this matter had been dealt with he would soon apply for bail.