Shay Murphy locked up for rape, abuse of multiple partners

That's why four women came forward to name and help lock up the man who had abused, controlled and, in two cases, raped them.

"And we did it," three of those four victim-survivors told media outside the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday.

The women shared a long hug in the public gallery after Justice David Mossop announced their shared perpetrator and former partner wouldn't be released from prison until at least August 2031.

Shay Kahu Murphy, 32, remained emotionless as he was sentenced to 14 years and two months in jail.

Justice Mossop set a non-parole period of eight years and two months.

But for Anne*, it was never about the sentence.

"It was always the fact that publicly, and in the courts, his name is against those crimes," she said.

Murphy was previously found guilty of or admitted to 17 charges, including three counts of sexual intercourse without consent and nine counts of assault.

He committed the offences over the course of a decade.

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"Just hearing the judge say the words he said was even more validating than hearing the jury say 'guilty'," Anne said.

"Now it's real and it's part of history.

"And it's not just part of my history, it's part of his as well."

Murphy's offences include multiple rapes, "waterboarding", spitting in one women's eye, several violent assaults, forcing one partner to cut herself, choking and destroying a phone during a jealous rage.

Justice Mossop said one assault was "particularly degrading" and that another caused the victim to think "she might die".

He described the offender as having acted with "plainly callous disregard" during a third.

These offences occurred "as part of a regime of control and oppression", with Murphy's conduct having been "malevolent, manipulative", the judge said on Thursday.

''I'm so proud to be part of the four of us," Diana* said, smiling, as she spoke about the "silver lining" that was the group's friendship.

"We stood together for so long and I just think, 'go women'!"

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' most recent personal safety survey, one in four Australian women have experienced violence by an intimate partner or family member.

Diana described offenders like Murphy as "masters of manipulation".

"Their one goal is to make you have no self-esteem left so that you only have them."

The women present in court said the process was difficult, at times treating them "like the perpetrator", but that it was ultimately "validating", especially as Murphy had underestimated their strength.

Justice Mossop described those of them forced into a trial earlier this year as having given brave, compelling and truthful evidence.

In contrast, the judge rejected much of Murphy's evidence, described it as "self-serving and unreliable", and said jurors had correctly found him guilty of multiple crimes.

"None of us should have gone through what we went through but this is a little bit of justice," Belinda* said.

"We are bonded through trauma but I'm grateful for it."

The four victims each gave express permission to be identified in media reporting and court judgements to help name Murphy.

And, by doing so, achieved their original goal.

"We're going to save other women from this shit," Belinda said.

"And we did it."

*Not their real names.

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