Best pal insists woman ‘would not lie’ in texts accusing Ulster stars of abuse

THE best friend of a woman who alleges she was raped by two Ulster rugby players told the court today: “She wouldn’t lie to me.”

The 21-year-old witness was quizzed about the texts sent between them in the hours after the alleged sex attacks at the South Belfast home of Paddy Jackson in June 2016.

The texts included claims the complainant had been raped and details she gave of the men accused.

In cross-examination, Brendan Kelly QC, acting for Jackson, asked the witness: “Had you discussed the importance of telling the truth?”

She replied: “She had told me this, the truth was not basically in my head. I assumed she’d tell the truth. She wouldn’t lie to me.”

The court heard how 12 days before the alleged attack, the friends had exchanged texts discussing rape in general terms.

The witness said if she was raped she would not report it to the police.

When asked in court why not, she responded: “For the very same reason as to what’s happening in this court right now. It’s daunting and quite horrible. And you get blamed about how things have come about. It’s a distressing process.”

FOOTAGE

When asked to explain further text messages in which she had suggested blackmailing or stabbing rapists, the woman answered: “That was quite clearly a joke.”

The court was played CCTV footage of the two women in the VIP area of Ollie’s nightclub in Belfast on the evening in question.

It showed them leaving separately and later it was explained the witness had gone to Mcdonald’s without her.

Mr Kelly put it to her that she had effectively “given up” on her friend.

He said: “She was determined to go on after Ollie’s and you just gave up on her. Is that what happened?”

The witness replied: “It’s a bit strong to say that I had given up on her.”

Mr Kelly added: “She had no interest in joining you that night?”

The friend said: “I cannot comment. I cannot really answer for her.”

Meanwhile, the woman was also cross-examined about a text exchange in which the complainant said she wanted to speak to “someone legally” about the alleged incident.

The witness said: “Statistics generally are not in your favour and I presumed she was going to speak to someone about that.”

Pressed further on the matter, she added: “I think she wanted to get actual legal advice.”