RORY HARRISON

IT was Rory Harrison’s 24th birthday when the police called at his home to take a witness statement on June 30, 2016 – two days after the alleged rape.

He had been in bed recovering from the excesses of two nights of partying.

Mr Harrison, pictured, is the eldest of four children, with a brother and sister who are twins, and another younger sister aged 19. His father is a solicitor who does not practise criminal law and his mother is a nurse, the court was told.

The family had just returned from a holiday in Majorca to mark his father’s 60th birthday – the flight had been delayed and they had spent the night in the airport – on Monday, June 27, 2016.

His decision to go out drinking that night had been ‘last minute’, the court heard.

Like Mr Jackson and Mr McIlroy, Mr Harrison attended and played rugby for Methodist College in Belfast. He left Methody, as the Malone Road institution is commonly known, having done well in his Alevels. The young man who played Ireland and Ulster schools rugby studied history at University College Dublin, after gaining a rugby scholarship.

He completed his degree in 2013. After his studies, Mr Harrison remained in Dublin holding down various jobs in insurance.

In January 2017 he flew to Australia where he worked until last October when he returned to stand trial, accused of perverting the course of justice and withholding information – charges he always denied.

Like his friends, Mr Harrison has a ‘completely clear’ record. He does not have any points on his driving licence and has never received so much as a parking ticket, the court was told. He has known Paddy Jackson since their days playing mini rugby at Belfast Harlequins.

He became friendly with Blane McIlroy at school and knew Stuart Olding from playing with the Ulster under-20s squad.

Mr Harrison is on social media with a few hundred followers on his Twitter account, which is set to private.

He was not part of the WhatsApp groups in which explicit messages were exchanged.

Maura Cushnahan, a widow who gave evidence on his behalf, spoke of his ‘wonderful qualities’. She met him during a distressing situation at a Belfast bus station and felt compelled to speak out after reading about him in the press, she told the judge.

There was much support for him in court, with his parents among those sitting in the public gallery.