WORST NIGHT EVER... SO I GOT RAPED
Rape trial hears evidence of a series of Whatsapp messages and texts sent by the alleged victim and by the accused men and their friends
WARNING: SOME OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE IN THIS REPORT
MODERN communication took centre stage this week in the Paddy Jackson/Stuart Olding rape trial.
The Belfast trial heard evidence of a series of text and Whatsapp messages sent between the accused men and their friends in the days after the alleged rape.
At the same time, the packed courtroom heard the alleged victim was also exchanging a series of texts with her friends. These were also read out in court.
Only one person, Rory Harrison, was in touch with both the complainant and his co-accused. Mr Harrison, who escorted the alleged victim home in a taxi on the night of the alleged rape, is accused of perverting the course of justice.
At 12.15pm, on the afternoon following the alleged rape, the woman texted Mr Harrison: ‘To be honest, you must be mates with those guys but I didn’t like them. It wasn’t consensual.’ Mr Harrison replied with one word: ‘Jesus.’ At 1.05pm, 50 minutes later, he texted another of the accused, Blane McIlroy, saying: ‘Mate, the scenes last night were hilarious. Walked upstairs and there were more flutes than July 12.’
Mr Harrison then texted the alleged victim again: ‘I don’t know what to say.’
Later that day, Mr McIlroy posted a picture of himself and three girls who attended the party where the alleged rape happened and captioned it: ‘Love Belfast sluts.’
He is charged with one count of exposure and his co-accused, Ulster and Ireland rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding, are accused of rape.
The texts were read out to the court by Toby Hedworth QC as the prosecution closed its case. Both the defence and prosecution had agreed on the timeline of the texts and their content. They backed up 36 ‘agreed facts’ presented to the jury by prosecutor Rosemary Walsh.
Mr Hedworth followed her by reading the series of messages, many of which had not been revealed before.
The first activity that day had been at 9.13am, with a text message between Mr Jackson and Mr Olding – but the contents were ‘not available’.
Similarly, the court heard how Mr Harrison sent Mr Olding a video clip by WhatsApp. It was not played to the jury.
FIRST ACTIVITY
9.13am – Tuesday, June 28, 2016 The first phone activity on the morning after the alleged rape is a text message between the accused, Mr Jackson and Mr Olding. The jury was not informed of its contents.
9.51am – Alleged victim sends a message to her friend. ‘Worst night ever. So I got raped.’ The message ended with five sad-face emojis.
10.08am – Alleged victim sends a similar message to another friend.
10.10am – An unnamed friend texts Mr Olding: ‘How was she?’
Mr Olding replies: ‘She was very, very loose.’ Friend: ‘Any sluts get f***ed?’ Mr Olding: ‘Precious secrets.’
TOP SHAGGERS
Later in the morning, Mr Olding wrote on a WhatsApp group called Jacome: ‘We are all top shaggers. There was a bit of spit roasting going on last night fellas.’
Mr Jackson replies: ‘There was a lot of spit roast last night.’
Mr Olding: ‘It was like a merry-goround at the carnival.’
SOME BLOND GUY
Meanwhile, a friend of the alleged victim texts to ask her if she had tried to stop the alleged rape from happening. Alleged victim replies: ‘Of course I did but they were too strong.
‘Paddy Jackson and some blond guy and then a third tried to get involved. Honestly. No. I was bleeding and they wouldn’t stop.’
MY WORD, AGAINST THEIRS
Friend asks if she would go to police? She replies: ‘No it would be my word against theirs. Ulster Rugby will vouch for their good char- acter and I’ll look like a stupid little girl.’
The alleged victim texts another friend: ‘I feel like I have got bruising literally on my f***y.’
Her friend replies: ‘Jesus f ****** Christ, were there more than one?’
The complainant said: ‘Two, then another tried to get involved.
‘Thing is I would report it if I knew they would get done. But they won’t. And that’s just unnecessary stress for me. It’s also humiliating.
‘It will be a case of my word against theirs, not like they have CCTV in their house and because there’s more of them they’ll all have the same fabricated story about me being some slut who was up for it. It will serve no purpose for me but be embarrassing.’
HARRISON TEXTS
12.15pm – The alleged victim texts Mr Harrison: ‘To be honest, you must be mates with those guys but I didn’t like them. It wasn’t consensual. Thank you for taking me home.’ Mr Harrison replies: ‘Jesus.’
1.05pm – Mr Harrison texts Mr McIlroy: ‘Mate, the scenes last night were hilarious. Walked upstairs and there were more flutes than July 12.’ Mr Harrison then texts the alleged victim again: ‘I don’t know what to say’.
WHY ARE WE ALL SUCH LEGENDS?
1.46pm – An unnamed friend of the accused posted a message to the Jacome WhatsApp group, asking: ‘Boys did you pass spitroast? Brasses. Legends!! Why are we all such legends?’
2.31 pm – Mr McIlroy replies: ‘I know its ridiculous.’
Later a deleted WhatsApp sent from Mr McIlroy to Mr Harrison said: ‘What the f*** was going on last night. ‘It was hilarious.’ Another friend replied on the group : ‘Who? Are they brasses?’ Mr McIlroy: ‘Aye.’ Friend: ‘F ****** fantastic.’
BELFAST SLUTS
Later that day, Mr McIlroy posts a picture of himself and three girls who attended the party where the alleged rape happened and captioned it: ‘Love Belfast sluts.’
3.21pm – The alleged victim texts a friend to ask him for a ‘huge favour’, saying she needed a lift to Newry to have forensic samples taken – but he couldn’t take her because he had to pick his parents up from the airport. BOASTING
Wednesday, June 29 – Mr McIlroy boasted to a friend on a Whatsapp group: ‘Pumped a bird with Jacko on Monday, roasted her, then another
‘This is ridiculous. She’s causing so much trouble for the lads’
on Tuesday night.’
I DON’T HAVE A SOLICITOR
Thursday, June 30 – Ulster Rugby texts Mr Jackson: ‘Paddy phone your solicitor and give them a heads up.’
Mr Jackson replies: ‘I don’t have a solicitor, who should I contact?’
SILLY GIRL
Mr McIlroy sends Mr Harrison a WhatsApp message: ‘Do Paddy and Stu have a lawyer. Do his parents know?’
Mr Harrison replies: ‘I’ve no idea. If not my dad will know exactly who to go to.’
Mr McIlroy: ‘Yeah sweet. This is ridiculous. Surely this is all going to get dropped.’
Mr Harrison: Hopefully. I don’t know… if it does come to it. Hopefully just thrown out – just a silly girl who done something and then regretted it.’
Mr McIlroy: ‘Yeah, surely it will be. I know but she’s causing so much trouble for the lads.’
Mr Harrison: Yeah mate, if that got out like. The other thing is the cops went straight to Les Kiss [the then-Ulster Rugby coach] which is f***ing ridiculous.’
Mr McIlroy: ‘Yeah, surely the cops can’t disclose that to Les Kiss.’
Mr Harrison: ‘There could be a lawsuit in that if it [is] just dismissed. Although you are drawing attention to it, I suppose.’
‘When Les rang Jacko, Bryn [Cunningham, Ulster Rugby operations director] called Stu. Just go straight to the station.’
LEAVE YOUR PHONE
Later in the day, when police have been in touch with Mr McIlroy, he messages Mr Harrison to inform him that he has to go to Musgrave Police Station. Mr Harrison replies: ‘I’d say leave your phone.’