A HOLISTIC masseur had extracts of the Bible read to him and "holy water" sprinkled on him while he was handcuffed to a chair by two men, who have been jailed by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Patrick Halvey of Kilcairn Court, Navan, Co Meath, was jailed for two years, and Hugh Murphy, from Ballywilliam, Co Wexford was jailed for one year.
Murphy (44), a father of one, and Halvey (49), a father of six, both admitted falsely imprisoning their victim in a Dublin apartment on September 28th, 1994. They told their victim they were members of An Garda Siochana and that the "game was up" as far as offering certain homosexual services to his massage clients was concerned.
Mr George Birmingham, prosecuting, said that the victim's practice of offering certain homo sexual services to his massage clients was disapproved of by a rival masseur, Mr Martin Kinneany, who believed that the victim's operations brought the massage, business into disrepute. He had hired Mr Halvey as a private investigator to discourage the victim.
Det Sgt John McMahon said that Mr Kinneany wanted evidence to bring to gardai about the victim's activities.
Murphy made an appointment with the victim and, at a prearranged signal, Halvey forced his way into the apartment by breaking down the door.
The two men told the victim that the "game was up" and claimed they were gardai. Murphy handcuffed the victim to a chair, while Halvey read extracts from the Bible to the effect that the victim's activities were offensive to God and were a stench contaminating the apartment.
Det Sgt McMahon said that Halvey then sprinkled what he said was "holy water" on the victim. He also took away some gay video and cassette tapes owned by the victim and his keys. The two men left the victim hand cuffed to the chair.
Det Sgt McMahon told Mr Birmingham that Halvey had made a tape recording of the event, which he gave voluntarily to gardai.
Judge Gerard Buchanan said the two men had gained admission by a trick and had pretended to be gardai. The victim's privacy had been invaded and he had been left with a genuine apprehension of a return visit.