Shamed Paddy Jackson backs down to say sorry
Rugby star changes tone after trial backlash
PADDY Jackson has spoken of his shame and regret, and finally apologised for behaviour that emerged during his nine-week trial in Belfast.
A contrite statement marked a change in tone from the Ulster fly-half whose legal representatives have been bullish following his acquittal last week.
Mr Jackson (26) and his Ireland and Ulster teammate Stuart Olding (25) were unanimously acquitted in Belfast Crown Court last week of raping a woman.
Over the past week there has been mounting pressure, including an online petition calling on the IRFU to launch a review into Mr Jackson’s and Mr Olding’s behaviour.
Mr Jackson yesterday admitted that WhatsApp messages sent following the night in question were “degrading and offensive”.
He accepted public criticism of his behaviour was “fully justified” and he had “betrayed the values of my family and those of the wider public”.
IN life, as in sport, a lot can happen in 10 days. Paddy Jackson has spoken of his shame and regret, and apologised for his behaviour that emerged during a nine-week-long trial in Belfast.
A contrite statement yesterday marked a change in tone from the Ulster fly-half whose legal representatives have been bullish following his acquittal last week.
He accepted public criticism of his behaviour was “fully justified” and he had “betrayed the values of my family and those of the wider public”.
“Following the trial, I have taken time to reflect with my family on the values that were such an integral part of my upbringing, the most important of which is respect.
“My departure from these values has caused understandable public anger and I am resolutely committed to returning to those principles,” he said.
Soon after he was acquitted of raping and sexually assaulting a woman at a house party, Mr Jackson’s solicitor, Joe McVeigh, said the charges were only brought because his client was a famous sportsman.
In a statement issued on Mr Jackson’s behalf, Mr McVeigh said the Ulster and Ireland rugby player had been “consistent in his denials and account”.
“Consistency has never been a feature of the complainant’s evidence. So these acquittals should come as no surprise to anyone.
“Paddy leaves court as he entered it almost 10 weeks ago: an innocent man. The prosecution made much of a perceived privileged position, by virtue of Paddy being an international rugby player.
“We say it is this very status as a famous sportsman that drove the decision to prosecute in the first place,” the statement said.
Mr Jackson may have believed this statement would draw a line in the sand and he could move on from the events of the last 10 weeks. But not so.
The day after he was acquitted, Mr Jackson’s legal team said defamation proceedings were being launched against Labour senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin over comments on Twitter.
News of the civil suit sparked a social media backlash with a campaign #SueMeTooPaddy gaining huge traction on Twitter.
In a statement, Jackson’s lawyers KRW Law said: “We will not hesitate to repeat similar legal action against anyone who sees fit to attack our client. We are examining carefully every item of social media commentary which seeks to challenge the integrity of the jury’s full endorsement of our client’s innocence.”
Last weekend, thousands of people attended rallies in Dublin, Belfast, Galway and Cork to show their solidarity with rape victims.
Some waved placards with the words “Stand with Survivors”, “Overhaul the System” and referenced the #IBelieveHer and #MeToo campaigns.
Then on Tuesday, Mr Jackson’s Ulster teammate Craig Gilroy issued a statement where he “apologised unreservedly” for any offence caused by a lurid WhatsApp message he sent, which was used as evidence in the Belfast rape trial.
The sender of the message, which read “any sl*ts get f**ked?” was referred to only as “CG” during court proceedings.
In his statement, Mr Gilroy said his comment was “totally inappropriate” and “not an accurate reflection of my beliefs nor Ulster Rugby’s values”.
“I am deeply sorry for the hurt my comment has caused,” he added.
The Ulster winger was made unavailable for selection by his province this weekend, as an internal review is conducted.
Yesterday, an open letter to Ireland and Ulster rugby bosses demanding that Jackson and Stuart Olding never play for the sides again appeared as an advertisement in the ‘Belfast Telegraph’.
A group of 139 people, described as “concerned fans”, contributed to a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the advert.
It stated: “To the leadership of the IRFU and Ulster Rugby...The content of social media exchanges involving Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding was reprehensible.
“Such behaviour falls far beneath the standard your organisations represent and as such we demand neither of these men represents Ulster or Ireland now or in the future.”
Then yesterday, Mr Jackson issued his new statement.
This time, it was one which was more conciliatory in tone.
Mr Jackson said he will always regret the events of that evening.
“I am ashamed a young woman who was a visitor to my home left in a distressed state. This was never my intention,” he said.
He also said he was sorry and apologised unreservedly for engaging in a WhatsApp group chat which was “degrading and offensive”.
He has discovered the hard way that the court of law and the court of public opinion are two different things.