Social media star Charleen Murphy has opened up about the night she was attacked by a man at a Dublin hotel back in February, on her podcast she hosts alongside Ellie Kelly.
Craig O’Brien, 28, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in November, after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to her at the Grafton Capital Hotel on February 10.
Charleen has now opened up about the night in an episode entitled, Charleen’s Attack, on her podcast, Hold My Drink.
View this post on Instagram
The 24-year-old described the horrific ordeal in detail and informed her listeners on how the incident has affected her since.
The influencer admitted that she doesn’t want to “feel defined” by her attack and that appearing in court and getting justice felt like “the end of a chapter” for her.
Charleen said: “I don’t want to feel like… defined by it…like that was something that had happened and life goes on like, like something new happens the next day and like yeah its just… as mad as it is life just keeps going.”
“And I found that really…like weird.”
She continued: “That was the first time like… my life was put on hold, but life keeps going, things keep going, people are still working, like… your life stands still, but other people’s doesn’t.”
“And like that was weird, and like I found that hard because I don’t like feeling like I’m behind, but I was like everyone’s still working, I’m not working, like that was for me… and then l was annoyed I’m not working.”
Ellie then said: “Your life stopped…”
“Because of something else, something I didn’t do like… and that’s what’s so frustrating, that just shouldn’t of… it shouldn’t of never have happened, but it did and I’m not letting that control my life, because then that person wins and as much as it still affects me, at a restaurant I need to sit where I can see everything…,” Charleen added.
Charleen admitted that “even little things trigger me” and mentioned how she refrains from watching violent films.
When asked by Ellie if she will “always carry stuff like that with you for your life, or do you think as the years go on will you like…”
Charleen got emotional and revealed: “I think so…”
Ellie then admitted how “proud” she was of her friend: “You’ve had to overcome things that you weren’t meant to, you’re not supposed to… no woman should, do you know what I mean?”
Picture: Brian McEvoy
The Dublin native recently shared a series of images from the night in question and wrote on her Instagram: “Today I finally got some justice for the attack I was subjected to in February of this year.
“The night in question was supposed to be a fun catch up with an old friend for dinner and drinks in a restaurant. However an individual sought out my location to cause me harm.
“I say some justice because to me, 18 months won’t ever amount to the damage that was done & how it affected and still affects me today.
View this post on Instagram
“On the night in question, I was punched full force, unprovoked, from behind, so hard that my drinking glass on the table smashed into my head and smashed into a million pieces in front of me.”
“From these photos you can see how my night started and how it ended with blood soaked hair and a 2inch gash that required stitches. There is a physical scar left but the emotional scar will take far longer to heal.
“Over the past few months it may have seemed that life still goes on but behind the scenes I have been in & out of court and truly struggled to deal with it all,” Charleen continued.
“I took to the stand today to acknowledge how this attack has impacted my life but I wanted to also mention that this isn’t just about me. It effects women everywhere and particularly in Ireland and sadly adds another setting onto the list of places where we just arent safe.
“I hope no other online creator will ever go through what I have gone through but more importantly no other woman! Thank you for all of your continued love and support, it is such a blessing and I look forward to moving on with my life and I hope that I can make something positive come from an awful situation,” she added.
