Rape trial juror faces arrest for her comments about the case
A JUROR in the Belfast rape trial has been interviewed by police and could face arrest and a contempt of court charge over comments she made online following the verdict.
The juror made a series of comments describing the trial, as well as answering questions from other users.
In the posts, the juror addressed the reasons the jury came to its decision and defended the amount of time it had taken to reach a verdict.
The Lord Chief Justice’s office told The Irish Daily Mail yesterday that it had referred the matter to the Attorney General’s office and other relevant authorities.
The Mail understands that the juror in question was questioned by the PSNI since she posted the comments online.
‘The Lord Chief Justice has written to the Attorney General to consider a contempt of court for the individual. That’s one option currently being considered. We are taking this matter with the uttermost seriousness,’ said a spokesman.
The Mail understands that no decision will be made on the matter this weekend.
‘There may have been precedent in other cases where people have been held in contempt of court but this is a first for us, in dealing with a jury member. It has never happened before. We are in unknown territory, but it’s being treated very seriously in this office,’ a source said.
The remarks were made by a female juror in the comment section of an article that been posted on the website Broadsheet.ie on Wednesday night.
The first comment appeared at 8.26pm on Wednesday, seven hours after the jury delivered unanimous not guilty verdicts on all counts.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokeswoman said: ‘We are aware of comments made on a social media platform,’ adding that they had nothing further to add at this time.
The Lord Chief Justice instructed the juror to have these comments taken down immediately.
The juror posted a statement on Broadsheet.ie yesterday, saying: ‘I received a phone call yesterday from the office of The Lord Chief Justice in Belfast regarding comments I had made on Broadsheet.ie.
‘I was asked if I had a lawyer, and that I am liable for arrest,’ the poster said.
‘I was instructed to contact Broadsheet to take down any reference to myself in regard to the “Ulster Rugby Rape Trial” – I was the foreperson on the jury. Broadsheet reacted momentarily to comply.’
The juror further added: ‘The comments I made referring to the case were within the parameters of the judges’s discharge to all the jurors – the one thing she said, “Do not reveal conversations or discussions that occurred in the jury room”.
‘Following my comments on Broadsheet, there is now an order, delivered to me yesterday, by the Judge, Patricia Smyth QC for the jury members to not comment on this case at all.’
The Mail understands that if action is taken on the comments, it will not be until next week at the earliest, with the AG’s office closed until Wednesday, April 4.
Ireland and Ulster rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were found not guilty at Belfast Crown Court of raping a then-19year-old woman by a jury on Wednesday.
Mr Jackson was also found not guilty of sexually assaulting the woman.
Blane McIlroy (26) has been found not guilty of exposure.
A second friend, Rory Harrison, 25, has been found not guilty of perverting the course of justice and withholding information.
The high-profile trial, which ran for 42 days, generated an unprecedented level of public attention and prompted calls from Jackson’s defence solicitor for a crackdown on social media comment during criminal proceedings.
‘It’s being treated very seriously’