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Rory Best 'was told to attend rape trial' Rugby rape trial: Woman 'did not seek help'
(35 minutes later)
Ireland captain Rory Best attended a rape trial in Belfast last week because he was told to by a barrister involved in the case, the court has been told. A 21-year-old woman who claims she was raped by two Irish rugby players did not seek help when another woman walked in on the alleged attack, a court has heard.
Mr Best attended the trial of Ulster teammates Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding on Wednesday. She told Belfast Crown Court that she was "petrified" of being filmed.
The players both deny raping a woman in Belfast in June 2016. Ulster teammates Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding both deny raping the woman in Belfast in June 2016.
Judge Patricia Smyth told the jury "the only reason" that Rory Best attended the trial was that "he was directed to be here by senior counsel". In court on Monday, she was cross-examined by Mr Jackson's defence barrister.
"I want to make it absolutely clear to you - and clear to the public - the only reason why Mr Rory Best was in this court last week was because he was directed to be here by senior counsel," said the judge. "Why did you not ask for her help?" he asked.
"That's the only reason why he was here. And as a jury, you should know that." "In that moment, I was so petrified of being recorded I just turned my head away," she said.
"It was too late. I had already been raped."
'Teasing' denied'Teasing' denied
At the trial on Monday, the 21-year-old woman at the centre of the case claimed she did not seek help when another woman walked into the bedroom of the Belfast house during the alleged rape because she was "petrified" of being filmed. The court has previously heard how the 19-year-old student had been attending an after-party at Jackson's Belfast house with a number of other men and women.
Mr Jackson's barrister asked: "Why did you not ask for her help?" She agreed her first kiss with Mr Jackson in a bedroom was consensual, but said that did not mean she consented to anything else.
But she replied: "What was she going to do? I didn't know her. I thought she was going to film me." She rejected a suggestion that Mr Jackson left the room first because he "became tired" of her teasing.
She agreed that her first kiss with Mr Jackson in the bedroom was consensual, but said that did not mean she consented to anything else.
Under cross-examination by his defence barrister, she rejected a suggestion that Mr Jackson left the room first because he "became tired" of her teasing.
She said she went downstairs after he tried to undo her trousers. She had already told the jury that she returned to the room to get her bag and claimed she was then raped.She said she went downstairs after he tried to undo her trousers. She had already told the jury that she returned to the room to get her bag and claimed she was then raped.
Asked if this began with a second consensual kiss, she said: "That's completely incorrect."Asked if this began with a second consensual kiss, she said: "That's completely incorrect."
Mr Jackson "wasn't taking no for an answer", she said.Mr Jackson "wasn't taking no for an answer", she said.
"Everything about me was saying no physically."Everything about me was saying no physically.
"You cannot underestimate how scared you are in those situations.""You cannot underestimate how scared you are in those situations."
When the barrister suggested this was "mutual sexual touching", she said that was "completely incorrect".When the barrister suggested this was "mutual sexual touching", she said that was "completely incorrect".
The lawyer asked why, when Stuart Olding opened the door, did she not ask for help.The lawyer asked why, when Stuart Olding opened the door, did she not ask for help.
"Because it was obvious what Stuart Olding's intention was as well," she replied."Because it was obvious what Stuart Olding's intention was as well," she replied.
She denied that she "motioned" towards Mr Olding and then performed oral sex on him.She denied that she "motioned" towards Mr Olding and then performed oral sex on him.
"That was not how it worked out," she told the court, repeating that the sex was "non-consensual"."That was not how it worked out," she told the court, repeating that the sex was "non-consensual".
She also contested defence claims that she had taken her top off by "agreement".
"I was ordered to take my top off," she said. "I wanted it to be over, so I took my top off."
Earlier the court was told that Ireland rugby captain Rory Best attended the rape trial last week because he was told to by a barrister involved in the case.
Judge Patricia Smyth told the jury at the court on Monday that "the only reason" that Mr Best attended the trial was that "he was directed to be here by senior counsel".
"I want to make it absolutely clear to you - and clear to the public - the only reason why Mr Rory Best was in this court last week was because he was directed to be here by senior counsel," said the judge.
"That's the only reason why he was here. And as a jury, you should know that."