Northern Ireland

Woman accusing Ulster rugby stars of rape breaks down in court

Paddy Jackson pictured arriving at court in Belfast this morning 
Paddy Jackson pictured arriving at court in Belfast this morning  Paddy Jackson pictured arriving at court in Belfast this morning 

A woman who has accused two Ireland and Ulster rugby players of rape has broken down in court while giving evidence for the first time.

The 21-year-old woman, who cannot be named to protect her identity, sobbed and wiped away tears as she told Belfast Crown Court the reason she had decided to report the alleged attack.

She said: "The more I thought about it, rape is a game of power and control.

"They rely on your silence. The only way you take the power back is when you actually do something about it.

"I may be preventing it happening to someone else.

"It could so easily have been my friends outside Ollies (nightclub), it could have been my sister outside.

"It's the best decision I have made."

Stuart Olding (24) and Paddy Jackson (26) are accused of raping the same woman at a property in south Belfast in June 2016.

Jackson faces a further charge of sexual assault.

Both men deny the charges.

Two other men have also been returned for trial on charges connected with the alleged incident on June 28 2016.

Blane McIlroy (26) from Royal Lodge Road, Ballydollaghan, Belfast, is accused of one count of exposure.

Rory Harrison (25) from Manse Road, Belfast, is charged with perverting the course of justice and withholding information.

Later, the woman told the court: "It's not OK.

"No one should ever have to go through what I did.

"People just can't get on like that.

"I am not going to stand for it."

Throughout proceedings the four defendants, who arrived at court separately, sat alongside each other in the dock.

Jackson, who was dressed in a navy blazer, jumper and open-neck shirt took notes.

The public gallery was packed to capacity.

The case, which is in its third day, is scheduled to last for five weeks.

It is being heard before Judge Patricia Smyth and a jury of nine men and three women.

Describing the alleged attack, the woman said she told Jackson "I don't want this to happen", but "he kept going."

The woman alleges she was raped by Jackson (26) in the bedroom of his Oakleigh Park home in the city after a night out in Belfast, and that during the sex attack she "froze."

Breaking down on several occasions as she gave evidence from behind a screen, the woman said that when Jackson's teammate Stuart Olding (24) entered the bedroom "my heart sank ... I knew what was going to happen."

She said she was raped at the same time by both men, and when a third male, 26-year old Blane McIlroy entered the bedroom naked, she said: "It was at that point that my fight instinct kicked in."

All three men are standing trial, alongside a fourth defendant Rory Harrison (25), on charges arising from the alleged incident in the early hours of  June 28, 2016. 

The jury of nine men and three women heard how the woman had been with friends in Ollie's nightclub and had gone back to Jackson's house.

She said she didn't follow rugby, had never been to an Ulster rugby match and had only met Jackson once, briefly in a social setting.

The woman - who drank one and a half large glasses of wine in her friend's house before going to Ollie's, following by three double vodkas in the club - believed she was going to an after-party in Jackson's, and thought her friends would also be attending.

Telling the jury she soon realised it was "by no means a party", she said those present were Jackson, Olding, McIlroy, Harrison and three girls who were friends of a friend.

When she was asked if anything had initially occurred between herself and Jackson back at the house, she said: "Yes, we kissed. It was completely consensual but it was instigated by Patrick Jackson.

"He tried to undo my trousers, but I told him firmly I wasn't interested and went back down the stairs." 

When asked by Crown barrister Toby Hedworth QC if at that point Jackson "tried to take matters further", she replied "no."

The woman said she soon felt "the mood has shifted" in the house, she believed it was "abundantly clear no-one else was coming back to the house, there wasn't going to be a party, so I decided to leave."

She looked for her clutch bag and after realising she had left it upstairs, she went back to retrieve it.

She tearfully said: "The image I have stuck in my head is of Patrick Jackson standing at the foot of the bed. I'm not sure whether that was before or


after I got my clutch. After already telling him I didn't want to do anything further with him, he grabbed my trousers by the waistband.

"He undid them and pulled then down to my knees. In that moment you think you are going to kick and scream and fight, but it doesn't work that way.


"I just froze. I knew where this was going but ... it just happened so quickly."

The woman said when Olding came into the bedroom she said she pleaded for the attack to stop.

She said: "My heart sank. I knew what was going to happen. I looked Patrick Jackson straight in the eye and said 'please no, not him as well.'"

Saying she "couldn't stop" what was happening to her, the woman broke down again as she recalled a "completely naked" McIlroy walking into the room.

She managed to get off the bed, telling the court and jury: "It was at that point that my fight instinct kicked in. There was not a chance I was letting


that happen again."

Describing McIlroy's stance as "so agressive", the woman claimed that as she was leaving the bedroom, she said: "How many times does it take for a girl to say no, for it to sink in."

She added: "I ran down the stairs and out of the house."

She said Rory Harrison then came to her aid, and offered to take her home in a taxi. 

When asked if she reported the matter to police immediately, the woman said she didn't, as she felt she wouldn't be believed.

Jackson from Oakleigh Park, and Olding, from Ardenlee Street, have both been charged with rape, while Jackson faces a further charge of sexual assault.


Blane McIlroy, from Royal Lodge Road in Belfast, has been charged withone count of exposure, and Rory Harrison from Manse Road, is facing charges


of perverting the course of justice, and withholding information.

All four men have denied the charges against them.

The case continues.