Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’ve known Patrick since he was 8 or 9 and he’d be the last person in the world to rape someone... » » Rory Harrison leaves Belfast Crown Court yesterday
RUGBY STARS TRIAL: HARRISON DENIES ENGAGING IN COVER-UP
Childhood pal tells of ‘disbelief’ Complainant had ‘followed Jackson’
RUGBY star Paddy Jackson was described in court yesterday by his friend Rory Harrison as “the last person in the world who would rape someone”.
He took the witness box at 9.08am in the trial of the Ulster player and his team-mate Stuart Olding, who are both accused of rape.
Harrison, of Manse Road, Belfast, is charged with perverting the course of justice and withholding information. He denies the charges.
The 25-year-old told the court: He initially assumed the alleged victim became upset after being rejected by Jackson
Later thought she may have regretted intimate involvement with the rugby player, and
Did not tell Jackson of her claim because he did not believe it.
Harrison, who until the trial began was working in insurance in Australia, was answering questions from his defence barrister Gavan Duffy about his recollection of events before, during and after a party at Jackson’s house in June 2016.
Belfast Crown Court heard the woman he had later escorted home from the South Belfast property in a taxi had messaged him hours afterwards saying “what happened last night was not consensual”.
He texted the complainant in response and wrote, “Jesus”, and later, “I don’t know what to say”.
SHOCK
Asked by Mr Duffy how he felt after her claim, Harrison said: “My initial reaction was shock that something happened she was not consenting to.
“The more I thought about it, I’ve known Patrick since I was eight or nine and he’s the last person in the world to rape someone.
“I didn’t believe it. I thought she had maybe done something she’d regretted.”
The woman, then aged 19, claims she was raped by Jackson and Olding, 24, from Ardenlee Street, Belfast.
Both men are charged with rape and Jackson, 26, from Belfast’s Oakleigh Park, is further charged with sexual assault. They both deny the charges.
Their friend Blane McIlroy, 26, of Royal Lodge Road, Belfast, is charged with exposing himself. He denies the charge.
The jury of eight men and three women filed into court 12 at Laganside yesterday before Harrison took the witness stand.
Mr Duffy asked his client about his early life, education and family before his friendship with Jackson.
Harrison, who has been based in Dublin and Sydney, confirmed he had known the rape accused for around 15 years.
He said: “He’s a good friend of mine. I wouldn’t get to see him very much until this had all begun because of his work and the distance between us.”
Harrison confirmed he met Jackson, Olding and McIlroy on the evening of June 27, 2016, to watch football at McIlroy’s family home.
They moved on to Cutter’s Wharf to watch the England versus Iceland match and then on to Ollie’s nightclub in Belfast city centre.
He described feeling “fairly drunk” by the time taxis were being sought for the journey to the after-party in Jackson’s house – and he told the court he could not remember getting there.
He said at the house were four women, Dara Florence, Claire Matthews, Emily Docherty and the complainant, none of whom he knew before the evening.
Harrison told the court the complainant had been “staring” at Jackson during the after-party and confirmed it was not wholly unusual.
He added: “She was looking at Paddy. It’s something I would notice on a night out, people would look at him because he is famous. I thought she was staring a bit longer considering we were at the house and she knew he was there.” The court also heard Harrison saw the woman “follow” Jackson upstairs.
He said: “After I seen her stare at him, I thought that’s where she was going, that’s maybe why she was following him.”
Harrison told the court shortly before 4.30am
on June 28, Miss Florence and Miss Matthews ordered a taxi. He said: “Dara and Claire said they wanted to leave and were going home.
“I joked they could stay if they wanted. I gave them the details of the house.” Assuming Jackson and the complainant were together, and Olding and Miss Docherty were together, and not being able to place
I thought maybe she had been rejected by Paddy, given she had been staring at him
RORY HARRISON BELFAST CROWN COURT YESTERDAY
McIlroy, Harrison decided to leave, the court heard.
He added: “I went up to say goodbye to Patrick and saw [the complainant] standing on the top of the stairs. I was going to say goodbye. It was after the girls decided they were going.”
Asked was there anything about the complainant’s demeanour that caught his attention, Harrison replied: “Nothing drew my attention to her. I walked past her and put my head around the corner.”
Asked about her state of dress, he said: “I don’t remember. She wasn’t unclothed or I would have noticed.
“I could see Paddy lying on the far side of the bed but the covers weren’t covering him.” He added he could see
all of Jackson’s body in the bed except his lower legs and told the court: “He was naked.
“He grumbled something at me and said, ‘I’ll see ya’. He was half awake at the time.” He added he did not notice anyone else in the room.
He also looked into the den on the same floor and saw Olding and Miss Docherty asleep on an L-shaped sofa.
Harrison told the court: “They were clothed, lying apart on separate limbs of the sofa.”
He said after ending his search in the house for McIlroy he went back downstairs and sat on the settee.
He added: “At some stage later [the complainant] came into the room. Not too long afterwards. She seemed to be a bit quiet.” Mr Duffy asked: “Did you form any view about her demeanour?”
Harrison replied: “She seemed a little bit upset. I may have asked her if she was OK but I’m not certain. I told her I’d bring her home and she agreed.”
He was asked how she seemed to be while walking to Ravenhill Road to try to flag a taxi.
Harrison responded: “Yes, she was definitely more upset. She was crying at this stage.”
Mr Duffy said: “[The complainant] said you ran out of the house after her.” Harrison replied: “No, that’s not correct.”
The court heard from Mr Duffy about evidence given by taxi driver Stephen Fisher that Harrison had spoken on the phone saying, ‘She’s not good,’ and ‘Leaving her home’.
The defence barrister asked: “Was there anything coded about the remarks?” Harrison replied: “No.”
Harrison walked the woman to the front door of her family home and continued the taxi journey to his.
UPSET
He explained he believed the complainant had been upset leaving the house because she had been “rejected” by Jackson.
Mr Duffy said: “Did you speculate about what might have happened?”
He replied: “Yes, I thought maybe she had been rejected by Paddy given she’d followed him upstairs and had been staring at him.” Pressing further, Mr Duffy added: “It has been speculated by the Crown you knew or believed she had been the victim of rape at that time.”
Harrison replied: “No, I did not.” The woman had thanked Harrison for taking her home and told him: “You’ve been far too kind.” He had responded: “My pleasure.”
He then asked her if she had earphones as he wanted to send her a piece of music.
Mr Duffy asked his client: “You were trying some kind of cover-up situation is this what you were doing?” Harrison replied: “No it was not.”
He was asked if he had told Jackson about the claim that sexual contact had not been consensual. Harrison responded: “I didn’t believe it and I didn’t want to tell him something I had no faith was true.”
Mr Duffy asked him: “Did you think it related to Mr Olding?” Harrison replied: “No, no I didn’t.”
Asked by Mr Duffy: “Did you believe there had been a rape of or sexual assault on [the complainant]?” Harrison responded: “No.”
The barrister asked Harrison: “Was there a conspiracy to concoct a story?” He replied: “No, there wasn’t.”
Mr Duffy said: “Did you deliberately delete anything off your phone?” He replied: “No, I didn’t.”
The trial continues tomorrow.