WITHOUT A JOB... WITHOUT THE OFFER OF A JOB
Paddy Jackson’s legal team and parents yesterday PADDY Jackson is “without employment... and without an offer of employment” after his high-profile rape trial, a court has heard.
An application was made at Belfast Crown Court yesterday to award
his legal costs following the not guilty verdict at the end of March.
His barrister said his client “has paid an enormous price for the events of that night, despite what we would say was a resounding acquittal”.
Brendan Kelly QC also spoke of the “pollution via Twitter” and on other forms of social media both during and in the wake of the trial, adding Mr Jackson’s employment as a rugby player was terminated “on the basis of text messages”. During yesterday’s application Paddy Jackson walks dog in Belfast this week – which was made to Judge Patricia Smyth who presided over the trial – it emerged that Mr Jackson, 26, from South Belfast, had paid his legal fees.
He has now applied to the court to have this money refunded by the Public Prosecution Service. It also emerged “post charge”, Mr Jackson’s employers “halved his wages”.
Following a mammoth trial, Mr Jackson and three co-accused were acquitted of offences arising from an alleged incident in his bedroom in the early hours of June 28, 2016.
While Mr Jackson was cleared by jury of raping and sexually assaulting a then 19-year-old student, his team-mate Stuart Olding, 25, was also acquitted a rape. Blane Mcilroy, 26, was acquitted of exposure, while 25-year-old Rory Harrison was cleared of perverting the course of justice and withholding information.
Pointing out that such an application was rare, given most defendants here are granted legal aid, Mr Kelly said “in this jurisdiction there is no real concept of central funds”, and called for Mr Jackson – the “acquitted applicant” – to have legal costs refunded. Revealing his client is “without employment” and with no pending offers of employment, Mr Kelly revealed Mr Jackson’s parents “greatly assisted” with the “substantial” legal fees from their retirement fund.
Crown barrister Toby Hedworth QC, said Mr Jackson “embarked upon a course where he chose to have representation that he paid for privately”, added that as his legal fees mounted, he could have followed Mr Olding by applying for legal aid, but “his choice was not to do so.”
Judge Smyth reserved judgment, telling the court: “I cannot give you a date, it will not be soon due to other pressures of work.”