Coaches told players to visit police station over ‘pretty grave’ situation
PADDY Jackson was in a cafe with his friends when he received a phone call from former Ulster coach Les Kiss telling him to go immediately to Musgrave Street police station regarding a “pretty grave” situation.
At the same time in Soul Food on South Belfast’s Ormeau Road, co-accused Stuart Olding received a phone call from Bryn Cunningham to advise him to do the same. Sitting in the witness box, Jackson said: “I was ordering pancakes when Les Kiss phoned me.
“Stuart held up his phone, Bryn Cunningham was calling him.
“Les said, ‘Paddy the police are here. You need to go to Musgrave Station immediately. My heart sank.
“Les called me again. He said, ‘Have you left yet?’ I said, ‘Do you have any idea what this is about? I’m freaking out’.
“He said, ‘I don’t know. It sounds pretty grave’.
“I said, ‘I’ll go, I’ll go’. Stuart looked pretty shocked. I told the waitress to cancel the order.”
The prosecution led by Toby Hedworth told Belfast Crown Court:
“The following lunchtime in the Soul Food cafe the ranks had been closed.”
Jackson responded: “What do you mean?”
Mr Hedworth continued: “[The complainant] was concerned that if she reported to the police it would be your group against her and she would be presented as a silly little girl who had done something she regretted and that is exactly the stance that’s been taken.” Jackson replied: “No it’s not. There is no stance.”
The defendant denies raping the woman at a party in his South Belfast home in June 2016.
It was allegedly carried out after Jackson, Olding, Blane Mcilroy and Rory Harrison had been drinking at Ollie’s nightclub.