‘She would not lie’, rape trial hears
A FRIEND of the woman at the centre of the rugby rape trial yesterday told the court: ‘She would not be lying to me.’
Earlier, the trial of Ireland and Ulster players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding heard the two women had discussed rape in phone texts 12 days before the alleged attack.
Asked why she said she would not call the police, she replied: ‘It it is daunting, it is quite horrible and you get blamed.’
‘I am not there to take her home’
A FRIEND of the woman allegedly raped by two Ireland and Ulster rugby players told a court: ‘She would not be lying to me’.
She was giving evidence yesterday in the trial of four men on charges connected with the alleged rape.
In answer to a question from Brendan Kelly, defending, about the importance of telling the truth, the friend said: ‘Because she had told me this... I assumed she was telling the truth.’
Paddy Jackson, 26, and Ireland and Ulster teammate Stuart Olding, 24, both of Belfast, deny rape in June 2016. Jackson denies a further charge of sexual assault
Earlier, the court heard the two women discussed rape in texts 12 days before the alleged attack.
When asked why she said she would not call the police, the witness said: ‘I guess from what is going on in this room, it is daunting, it is quite horrible and you get blamed... It is a distressing process.’
When also asked to explain further comments in which she had suggested blackmailing or stabbing rapists, the woman told Belfast Crown Court: ‘That was quite clearly a joke.’
CCTV footage showing the two women in the VIP area of Ollie’s nightclub in the city was relayed to the court. They left separately.
Asked again by Mr Kelly, defending Mr Jackson, whether she had effectively ‘given up’ on her friend who had shown ‘no interest’ in joining her, the woman responded: ‘No, but then again I am not there to take her home. It is probably just out of politeness.’
During questioning by Frank O’Donoghue, defending Mr Olding, it emerged there was ‘no reference’ to oral sex in any text exchanges between the two women.
Mr O’Donoghue said: ‘She never said to you that she had been simultaneously raped in the mouth and vagina?’
The witness replied: ‘Not in that way.’
There was also no mention that someone walked into the room, Mr O’Donoghue suggested.
The woman answered: ‘I remember she said that in trauma your memory could be patchy and could come back later.’
Two other men are before the court with Jackson and Olding in connection with the alleged rape during the early hours of June 28, 2016.
They are Blane McIlroy, 26, from Ballydollaghan, Belfast, who denies exposure, and Rory Harrison, 25, also Belfast, who denies perverting the course of justice and withholding information.
Under cross-examination by Arthur Harvey, defending Mr McIlroy, the woman again told the court she had never seen her friend so upset.
‘As soon as she got into the car she immediately hugged me and started crying,’ she said.
The complainant normally keeps her composure, the 12-person jury was told.
She added: ‘For her to just get into the car, hug me and start crying, I didn’t even know how to respond to that.
‘She has never been that emotional with me.’
The trial, which is approaching the end of its third week, heard from two other close friends of the alleged victim yesterday.
None of the friends can be identified because, by law, the complainant is entitled to lifelong anonymity.
One friend said the alleged victim went to police to stop it happening to someone else, the court was told.
This friend told the court that despite concerns about publicity and going up against big names in sport, the alleged victim heeded advice from friends and professionals and reported the matter.
The witness said: ‘She realised it was not right for it not to be reported because she did not want something like this to happen to anyone else.’
The woman, who drove her to a rape crisis centre, described how the alleged victim was reluctant to disclose names but told doctors her alleged attackers were publicly known.
When asked by Toby Hedworth, prosecuting, for the reaction of the doctor, the witness replied: ‘He said that nobody was above the law, that they should be reported to the Crown.’
The woman described how her friend had been distressed throughout the journey to the Rowan rape crisis centre in Antrim.
Although they had been friends for years, she did not know what to say, the court was told. ‘At that point in time she was very emotional and I have never seen that side of her before,’ the witness said.
She did not ask probing questions. ‘I knew that pressing questions would not be appreciated,’ she added.
Later, when questioned by Mr Kelly, for Jackson, about any physical injuries, the witness said: ‘When she was sitting in the car she was very uncomfortable, sitting gingerly.’
The court has also heard about more text conversations between the complainant and another friend living abroad the day after the alleged rape.
The woman was asked to explain what she meant when she wrote ‘pretend’ not to know the alleged assailants were rugby players.
Mr Kelly said: ‘Do you think she might be prepared to lie about it?’
The witness said: ‘I would never have told my friend to lie. Never.’
She explained that she was simply advising her friend to ignore the fact that they are high profile sportsmen because ‘rape is rape’ regardless of who the person is.
The trial continues.