Blane McIlroy denies he ‘got his lines wrong’ when talking to police

Blane McIlroy, who is accused of exposing himself to a woman directly after she was allegedly raped by two Ireland and Ulster rugby players, has denied he “got his lines wrong” when telling his story to police.

Mr McIlroy is alleged to have stood naked in front of the woman and said: “You fucked those guys. Why not me?” directly after Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding allegedly raped her in Mr Jackson’s bedroom.

During cross-examination this afternoon, prosecuting counsel Toby Hedworth QC, put it to the accused that the four accused men met up the day after the alleged rape to concoct a story about their various actions on the night.

Counsel suggested Mr McIlory got mixed up and gave the police Mr Olding’s concocted story instead of his own. He put it to the accused he engaged in no sexual activity with the woman.

Mr McIlroy rejected this account.

The jury has previously heard Mr McIlroy (26) told police the woman performed oral sex on him while she lay naked in the bed beside Mr Jackson.

On Friday morning in the witness box, he repeated this account.

The complainant has said this did not happen and that Mr McIlroy only thrust his penis at her and asked for sex after the alleged rape. Mr Jackson and Mr Olding both said they did not see Mr McIlroy in the room at all.

Mr Jackson (26), of Oakleigh Park, Belfast has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault in the early hours of June 28th, 2016 at a party in his house. Mr Olding (24), of Ardenlee Street, Belfast, denies one count of rape on the same occasion. Both men contend the activity was consensual.

Mr McIlroy, of Royal Lodge Road, Ballydollaghan, Belfast, has pleaded not guilty to one count of exposure while Rory Harrison (25), from Manse Road, Belfast, pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice and withholding information relating to the incident.

This afternoon Mr Hedworth put it to Mr McIlroy: “The woman said you were in the door, holding your penis, wanting your slice of the action.”

“That never happened,” Mr McIlroy replied.

“She turns her attention from him [MR JACKSON)]to you in seconds, is that right?” counsel asked.

“Yeah after a minute or two of conversation.”

Counsel put it to him that she did this and asked for condoms despite having a painful tear on her vaginal wall.

Mr McIlroy replied that she did.

“Have you looked at the evidence in this case at all Mr McIlroy?” counsel asked. “Do you have any idea of how preposterous your account of all this is?”

Mr McIlroy said he has told the truth.

Counsel suggested that in his police interview, Mr McIlroy painted a picture of the complainant as “rather a strange girl sitting there and rather than joining in with the party is just fixated with Paddy.”

He replied said she may have been but he did not know because he was not paying attention to her.

Mr McIlroy told police the complainant tried to kiss him at the party before the alleged rape but that he was not interested in her.

“That doesn’t suggest a young woman being fixated with Mr Jackson,” counsel suggested.

Mr McIllroy said it was a “pretty insignificant” event which happened earlier in the night.

He said he did not notice her being fixated on Mr Jackson, he just noticed at one stage the pair were not in the room anymore.

He told counsel he thought sex was a possibility with the female house guests and agreed he told one of the women, Dara Florence, “this could be the best night of your life”.

This was said in a joking way, he said. He agreed he was particularly interested in Ms Florence.

He was asked how he felt when the women left in a taxi. “Did you feel you would have to look elsewhere?”

Mr McIlroy responded: “Potentially, yeah.”

He agreed he sent a text to Mr Jackson asking about the possibility of a threesome, because Ms Florence had left. He agreed this was not sent as a joke.

Counsel asked about his evidence that he entered the room to find the woman and Mr Jackson naked on the bed before he went over and kissed her.

“Did you not think Paddy was going to thump you?” counsel asked. “You’ve just walked in on him and his partner for the night and you just join in, thinking you were going to have some sort of sexual activity as well.”

Mr McIlroy replied the woman’s actions indicated she was fine with it.

“This is complete fantasy island on your behalf isn’t it?” counsel asked.

“No it’s not,” he replied.

Counsel put it to him that he “got his lines wrong” and gave what he thought was supposed to be his version of events to police.

Mr Hedworth suggested the four accused met up at the Soul Food Cafe the next day and discussed what they would tell police but that Mr McIlroy got confused and told Mr Olding’s version of events.

“There never was any sexual activity involving you,” counsel suggested.

Mr McIlroy replied, “No, that’s not what happened.”

“It’s all coming apart at the seams. You delivered the wrong lines. You put yourself there instead of Stuart Olding.”

Mr McIlroy rejected this.

She has just imagined you walking into the room “with your penis out, all excited?” counsel asked.

Mr McIlroy replied he did not walk into the room naked.

He denied Rory Harrison had to take the woman home because she was so upset. He also denied lying about not remembering the contents of a phone call he received from Mr Harrison that night.

On the day of the arrests Mr McIlroy agreed he deleted some of the text messages he exchanged with friends, including one sent to Mr Harrison after the woman was dropped home which read: “Really? fuck sake. Did you calm her? Where did she live?”

Mr McIlroy responded he was not worried about the messages but he thought they might be read in the wrong way by police.

Mr McIlroy told counsel he and his friends did not discuss the woman at lunch the next day. He said this was because he was not concerned about what had happened.

“This is a pack of lies to help Paddy and Stuart but you’ve got the wrong lines,” Mr Hedworth said.

“What I’ve said is the truth,” Mr McIllroy said.

Mr McIlroy is now finished his evidence.