‘You had sex af ter going to their place uninvited’
Rape trial woman denies her memory was clouded
‘That never happened’ ‘I didn’t want to take photographs’
A WOMAN who accused two Irish rugby internationals of rape has denied claims her memory was clouded by alcohol or an unwillingness to accept reality.
Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding are accused of raping the woman in an upstairs bedroom of a house in south Belfast in June 2016.
A third defendant, Blane McIlroy, faces a charge of exposure. A fourth, Rory Harrison, is accused of withholding information and perverting the course of justice. They deny the charges.
The woman was yesterday giving evidence to Belfast Crown Court for a seventh day.
Arthur Harvey QC, defending Mr McIlroy, told her: ‘Your memory of the incident is either clouded by drink or clouded by an unwillingness to acknowledge what happened.
‘That simply, you had sex with a number of men after going to their home without an invitation.
‘You went up to a bedroom when there were girls down below.
‘Any call that you would have made that night would have been heard.
‘If you had called out for help or assistance, it would have been heard by three girls.’
There were a number of tense exchanges as Mr McIlroy’s barrister raised questions about discrepancies in accounts provided by the complainant to rape crisis centre professionals, the police and court.
‘You have an easy facility of moving from truth to untruth, or falsehood and self-delusion,’ Mr Harvey told her.
When the woman asked if the lawyer was calling her ‘delusional’, Mr Harvey added: ‘Self-delusion is when you refer to a version of events that do not correspond with reality.’
The complainant said: ‘I disagree with that.’
Earlier, she denied suggestions she had engaged in consensual sexual activity with McIlroy.
She had ‘started kissing’ him; masturbated and briefly performed oral sex, according to Mr Harvey.
‘No, that’s completely incorrect,’ the woman responded. ‘That never happened.’
She later added: ‘Mr Harvey, I was raped. This is a rape case. If Mr McIlroy had touched me, I think I would have made that abundantly clear to the police.’
When the barrister suggested memory gaps had been filled with ‘activity’ she was reluctant to disclose, the woman replied: ‘Because it never happened.’
Earlier, the complainant was quizzed about the moment Mr McIlroy entered Paddy Jackson’s bedroom, where the attack is alleged to have happened.
Standing at over 6ft, he was in the doorway and was ‘naked’, the court heard.
He was ‘extremely intimidating’, the woman said, adding that she had to ‘push’ past him.
The complainant was in the witness box for several hours and had to be given a break on a number of occasions.
Mr Harvey said: ‘When you look at your account of these events, your memory is not only fractured but it is ragged in relation to very significant and important parts. Do you understand that?’
The woman answered: ‘I understand what you are saying.’
Earlier, she had been quizzed about comments she made about three girls who had been at Mr Jackson’s home on the night in question, as well as her reasons for leaving the party. In a text to a friend the following morning, the woman described the girls’ behaviour as ‘slutty’, the court heard.
Mr Harvey said: ‘Did you tell [your friend] they were behaving in a slutty manner?’
The woman answered: ‘I cannot recall the exact words.’
Pressing the point, Mr Harvey said: ‘Is that what you thought?’
The complainant said: ‘There were a number of reasons. Yes, the behaviour is not something that I would have partaken in.’
The defence barrister said: ‘Being upstairs in a bedroom indicates behaviour that’s more proper than three girls taking selfies. Is that what you are saying?’
The woman responded: ‘Those are not my words. Those are your words. I am saying that I didn’t want to take photographs sitting on those guys’ knees.’
Mr Jackson, 26, from Oakleigh Park in Belfast, and his Ulster and Ireland team mate Mr Olding, 24, from Ardenlee Street also in the city, deny raping the same woman in June 2016. Mr Jackson denies a further charge of sexual assault.
Mr Harrison, 25, from Manse Road in Belfast, denies perverting the course of justice and withholding information.
Before the jury was sent away for the day, Judge Patricia Smyth reiterated warnings not to discuss the case with anyone.
The case continues.