Dylan Murray threw tiles and chimney pots at cops shouting “can you catch?” as he did so
Dylan Murray threw tiles and chimney pots at cops shouting “can you catch?” as he did so.
And we can reveal Murray, pictured here for the first time, had just been released from a 50-month jail sentence for petrol bombing a love rival’s car when he went on another crime spree.
assaulted
The 27-year-old thug, who has more than 60 previous convictions for arson and violent attacks, assaulted eight police officers during his shocking roof-top ‘protest’ six weeks ago on June 28 in Portadown.
In the process the father of one also caused criminal damage to two houses and a police vehicle and is now back behind bars after a judge jailed him for a year.
But it has emerged Murray had only been out of prison a matter of weeks and was still out on licence for a terrifying Buckfast bottle petrol bomb attack on the car belonging to his ex-partner’s new boyfriend and her house while two kids were asleep inside.
In a fit of jealousy Murray threw what the judge at Craigavon Crown Court described as “what used to be called a Molotov cocktail” at his love rival’s Volkswagen Tiguan.
Dylan Murray
News in 90 seconds – 10th August 2025
According to a witness, Murray was seen kicking the car at Bells Row Court in Lurgan in June 2022 before setting a bottle of Buckfast filled with petrol alight and throwing it at the vehicle.
However, the fire spread to the house where his ex-partner lived – as well as two children.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service attended and were able to extinguish the fire before further damage was caused and the court heard that Murray surrendered himself to police later that day.
Dylan Murray
He eventually entered a guilty plea to a charge of arson intending to damage property and being reckless whether the life of his ex would be endangered.
The PPS counsel submitted there were multiple aggravating features to that case, including the domestic violence aspect of the offence, that it was committed at night, Murray had put the lives of people in the adjoining properties in danger and also his 59 previous criminal convictions which included entries for arson and criminal damage.
Defence counsel Aaron Thompson told the court that Murray had admitted he was “hell-bent on damaging the car in some sort of pathetic but malicious protest at the new partner… and he is disgusted at his own behaviour”.
Describing it as “a revenge attack”, Judge Lynch said it was clear from his previous convictions that Murray “took out his angst against individuals by carrying out damage of other people’s property”.
The judge added that with two kids inside sleeping, the “danger was apparent and that should have been apparent to the accused”.
Jailing the then 25-year-old, the judge lamented that “there’s very little positive to be said for Mr Murray”.
However, just weeks after getting released from Maghaberry after more than two years inside, Murray was back committing more serious violent offences.
Murray appeared at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court via video link from prison last week.
According to Court News NI a prosecutor said police were contacted about an “ongoing verbal argument” and when officers arrived at Queen Street in Portadown the defendant was “scaling” the rooftop.
He was “very unsteady on his feet” and appeared intoxicated.
For an hour and 20 minutes he “proceeded to rip off and smash chimney pots and rip off tiles from the roof between the numbers 19 and 23 in order to use as projectiles against the police”.
A police vehicle was damaged when he had thrown parts of a chimney.
The prosecutor said Murray was heard asking police “can you catch?” while throwing items.
The court was told if police had not been using shields for their protection there “would have been serious injury”.
Murray attempted to speak to a woman in the property and he “began to run up and down the rear of the roof between the apex and a flat roof”.
He then tried to “swing” into a window from the rooftop but “the weight caused the window to close resulting in damage” and “the defendant was immediately treated by ambulance services”.
The court was told some of the assaults were apprehension assaults but some officers did receive cuts and bruises.
A defence barrister said the defendant was “obviously in a state of distress”.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said it had been an “appalling” incident.
He said it was “lucky” police officers were “not more significantly injured” and added: “But no doubt this required a massive police resource”.