Murphy attacked for 'dancing on Katy's grave'
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SOCIALITE gossip writer Gavin Lambe Murphy was accused of "dancing on the grave" of model Katy French yesterday after he penned an article chronicling their excessive drinking and drug-taking as a former celebrity couple, just hours after her death.
The self-styled former "IT boy" claimed the 24-year-old was among a group of models and media types who "partied hard" six nights a week.
He spoke of the pair heavily drinking wine and cocktails at an exclusive Dublin restaurant three times a week, before "heading out for a night of champagne and cocaine until dawn", when the couple dated briefly five years ago.
"We never really ate a thing due to the amount of cocaine we were taking," he said.
"But sometimes there were pills to pop, too. No matter what was going on, we were taking it."
But his article, which the former drug addict claimed was written to warn others of the dangers of drugs, sparked a string of outraged callers to RTE's 'Liveline' programme yesterday.
Disgusted
Derek Daniels, co-director of the Assets Modelling Agency in Dublin, where Katy was a rising star, said he was "disgusted" by the article.
"I think it's an absolute disgrace. It's absolutely appalling. It's the lowest of the low," he told Joe Duffy.
"I don't care what Katy French did in her personal life but it shouldn't be splashed in a newspaper less than 24 hours after she died," he said.
"How dare he have the gall to write about a relationship that lasted 15 seconds? That girl has a mother, father and sister who are grieving and they have to listen to this crap?"
Anti-drugs campaigner and Dublin City councillor Christy Burke said he was also appalled by what he read.
"There's nothing wrong with warning people about drugs but don't do it on the death of a girlfriend the next day. Let the family have some integrity."
A former drug addict who rang the programme said he was also stunned by the article. "It goes against every principle of recovery to be outing someone else," he said.
"It's appalling. It's dancing on her grave."
Another caller said she regarded the behaviour of Mr Lambe Murphy -- who has since admitted being gay -- "as that of a vulture".
- Allison Bray
