The vile stalker who taunted Bethany Haines about her father’s tragic ISIS death has been jailed for 33 months for attacking, stalking and controlling four more women.
A sheriff paid tribute to Andrew Murray’s victims for coming forward and said he noted the accused had continued to blame his victims and refuse to accept full responsibility.
Murray, 26, walked free previously after the appeal court overturned a jail sentence imposed upon him in 2017 for his horrific and cruel treatment of Miss Haines.
He had subjected her to callous taunting about her father David Haines’ horrific murder by beheading at the hands of the terrorist known as Jihadi John.
On Thursday, Miss Haines – who helped some of Murray’s other victims – said: “After so many failures by the police and court, justice has finally been served.”
Sheriff’s concern over attitude
Perth Sheriff Court was told Murray was a serial abuser of women who had systematically subjected them to controlling and bullying behaviour over a six year period.
A further year’s supervised release order was imposed “to protect the public from serious harm” and a non-harassment order was imposed in respect of the final victim.
Sheriff Euan Duthie said: “This was an extremely concerning pattern of coercion on your part.
“The psychological harm to the complainers must have been significant.
“All four are to be commended for their courage in coming forward.
“I do note with concern that the author of the report describes you showing a very strong element of minimisation and putting blame on your victims.
“Given the number and nature of the offences and the pattern of coercive control which characterises the offences, I am satisfied a custodial sentence is necessary.”
Wrestling move assault
Murray admitted stalking a woman for nearly five years between November 1, 2013 and July 31, 2018 in Coupar Angus and Alyth.
He shouted, swore, called her derogatory names and monitored her phone calls.
He also admitted assaulting her between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told the court she knew Murray through a mutual friend and starting dating him when she was 17 and he was 18.
“He was very controlling and that continued to escalate.
“He would drive a wedge from friends so she was isolated.
“He called her a slut and junkie.
“He would do things to scare her.
“This would occur if males messaged her.
“It got to the point she was fearful if boys messaged her.
“The accused was jealous and monitored her phone.
“He struck her cheek. She recalls a mobile phone being thrown at her.
“In 2016 the accused grabbed her by the throat and picked her up off the bed and choke-slammed her, which she described as a wrestling move.”
Tinder app victim
Between August 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019 Murray admitted stalking a second woman by controlling her social media and banning her from having contact with other men.
He accused her of cheating on him, verbally abused and threatened her and destroyed property.
In March 2019, he attacked and injured her by throwing her against a wall.
Mr Sweeney said: “(She) met him on the dating app Tinder and they were in a relationship from August 2018.
“Initially it was good but she noticed him becoming more controlling and checking her phone.
“He would open the apps and read private messages.
“He would call her fat and ugly.
“He accused her of cheating, which she denied.”
On a car journey he told her: “I should have put you in the boot.”
Mr Sweeney said: “He would make comments about what she was eating and mock her about her weight.
“He had fits of jealousy.”
The court was told that he tipped up a mattress she was on to slam her against a wall and leave her bruised.
He laughed at her as he did so.
Make-up ban
Murray admitted a charge of domestic coercion against another woman, which took place in Coupar Angus between April 3 and October 4, 2019.
He monitored her whereabouts, told her male friends not to contact her, called her names and threw objects.
Mr Sweeney said he also met her online and very quickly began monitoring her movements by forcing her to turn on her SnapChat maps application.
“She felt he was controlling her.
“She was a fan of stock car racing but was not allowed to talk about this because he had no interest. She stopped attending.
“He laid down ground rules for her where she was to stop speaking to friends and was not to block her SnapChat locations.
“She was not to wear make-up.
“On an almost daily basis he would call her a liar and tell her he could not trust her. He frightened her.
“She had to sign off from work with anxiety and had to take medication.”
He admitted, in October 2016 attacking a fourth woman by throwing a glass at her.
‘Abused becomes abuser’
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, defending, said Murray was currently in a relationship, which began in 2018 and was the father of a young child.
He said: “He has had difficulty throughout his relationships of really knowing or having a proper understanding of what a relationship should be.
“This is the consequence of him being brought up in a fairly abusive relationship himself.
“The abused often becomes the abuser.”
Tragic Haines family background
In the previous case, Murray was initially jailed for 21 months for making Miss Haines life hell and leaving her badly traumatised by his bullying behaviour.
However, the appeal court ruled that the sentence was too severe and it was overturned, with 200 hours unpaid work imposed instead.
Aid worker and former RAF engineer David Haines, 44, was taken hostage and then beheaded in September 2014.
London-born Jihadi John, 27 – real name Mohammed Emwazi – killed seven Westerners on camera before he was finally killed in a US drone strike.
