Stuart Olding denies offering ‘complete nonsense’ as evidence

Ireland and Ulster rugby player Stuart Olding has denied presenting the jury in his rape trial "complete nonsense" as evidence about having consensual sex with the complainant.

Mr Olding is being cross-examined by the prosecution this afternoon after taking the stand in his own defence.

He told Toby Hedworth QC that he walked into a bedroom and saw the 19-year-old complainant on top of his teammate and co-accused Paddy Jackson. He said she was kissing him and was fully clothed.

Counsel put it to Mr Olding that this differed significantly from Mr Jackson’s account of events in the early morning of June 28th, 2016. Mr Jackson told the jury the woman was performing oral sex on him when Mr Olding entered.

Mr Olding said he did not see any oral sex.

He said had no recollection of the woman saying “No, please, not him too” when he entered the bedroom. Mr Olding said no one said anything when he came in and insisted that the woman held out her hand to invite him over.

He said there were no words said and that she “hinted” he was to come in by using her hand.

“I suggest to you this is a complete nonsense,” counsel said, adding that it was “a work of fiction.”

The accused rejected this charge.

Mr Olding said he went to the woman and kissed her “open mouthed”. Counsel said it was “fanciful” that Mr Olding would kiss the woman in such a way “after she had just had your friend’s penis in her mouth”.

The accused denied it was fanciful.

‘Sex doll’

Mr Hedworth asked Mr Olding if he was saying it was the woman who was driving everything along and that he was “just lying there, like a sex doll.” Mr Olding said he would not put it quite like that.

Mr Olding said no one said anything when he entered the room.

Mr Hedworth said: “She doesn’t ‘say come on, we’re having a great time would you like to join in’? Paddy doesn’t say ‘come on, we’re having a great time?’ or ‘you’re taking a liberty here Stuart’?”

Mr Olding repeated that no one said anything. He denied he had drank so much that he was not interested in the woman’s level of consent that night.

Counsel suggested she was “a vehicle for your sexual desires.” Mr Olding said he would not agree with this wording.

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 occassion. Both men contend the activity was consensual.

Blane McIlroy (26), of Royal Lodge Road, Ballydollaghan, Belfast, has pleaded not guilty 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.