Ireland and Ulster rugby player Stuart Olding has said he is embarrassed about text messages he sent boasting about his sexual activity with a 19-year-old Belfast woman he is alleged to have raped.
Mr Olding took the stand on Thursday at Laganside Crown Court, where he and his teammate Paddy Jackson are accused of raping a student early on June 28th, 2016, in Mr Jackson's house following a night out.
Mr Olding was asked about texts exchanges in the hours after the alleged rape, including those with a man identified by the initials CG. He described CG as “a close personal friend” who he would be in regular contact with. Hours after the alleged incident, CG sent a text asking: “How was she?”
Mr Olding told counsel the word “she” refers to the night out, not to the complainant. His reply was “she was very, very loose” and this meant “it was good fun,” he said.
Counsel asked about another text from CG reading: “Any sluts get fucked.”
Mr Olding's reply was: "precious secrets", which he said was a term from The Lord of the Rings.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “Just a nonsense comment.”
In a later text exchange, Mr Olding wrote “We are all top shaggers.”
He told counsel this was referring to the events of the night before and was “just immature boasting to my friends.”
Another text from him read: “there was a bit of spitroasting going on.”
Mr Olding said this is a slang term for a threesome. It could mean a woman in between two men and “sexual activity happening,” he told the jury.
‘Nonsense’
Asked about his text stating “it was like a merry-go-round at a carnival”, Mr Olding said this does not mean anything. He said he was in an excited state and it was “just nonsense”.
His counsel, Frank O’Donoghue QC, asked Mr Olding how he felt reading those texts now. He replied that he “feels very embarrassed sitting here” reading them.
“I’m certainly not proud of talking like that. I did it. I have done it. I shouldn’t have done it,” he added.
Mr Olding was also asked two days later about his arrest on June 30th. He said he initially used the services of the duty solicitor when in the police station. However, when he was in a holding cell, an officer came in and told him Ulster Rugby had sent down its own solicitor, Joe Rice. He agreed to allow Mr Rice represent him.
Earlier, Mr Olding said he was “drunk but still coherent” at the time of their encounter. He said he “was in a good place, having a good time”.
Mr Olding told police two days after the alleged rape that the complainant performed consensual oral sex on him after he walked in on her and Mr Jackson.
He said he stood by what he told police in interview. “That’s the truth”.
Mr Olding agreed he had a large amount to drink that night. The trial previously heard he had consumed eight cans of beer, four pints, two gins, five vodka and lemonades and three shots of spirits beforehand.
Mr Olding on Thursday said he does not normally drink much due to rugby commitments but that night he had just started a four week break. In the nightclub before going back to the after-party in Mr Jackson’s house, Mr Olding said he was “drunk but still coherent”.
‘Happy’
The group left and went back to Mr Jackson’s house where Mr Olding said the mood was “relaxed, happy, fun, enjoyable.” He described taking one of the guests, who was feeling sick, up to bed and making sure she was okay. Nothing sexual happened between him and this woman, he said.
Mr Olding said he later decided to go to bed and was not sure where Mr Jackson was at the point. He was not aware of any interaction between Mr Jackson and the complainant that evening.
He went upstairs with intention of going to sleep in Mr Jackson’s room but when he opened the door, he saw Mr Jackson on his back with the complainant on top kissing him.
Mr Olding told counsel Mr Jackson’s top was off when he went in and that the woman was fully clothed.
Counsel put it to Mr Olding that there had been evidence, from Mr Jackson’s testimony, that oral sex was going on when he walked into the room.
Mr Olding said he saw no oral sex at that point. He said felt as if he had intruded on two people kissing and went to leave, but the woman put her hand out to invite him to stay.
He said he is “100 per cent sure” about this.
Mr Olding said he walked to the bed and began to kiss her. “She was on her back and I was leant over her kissing her. Both open mouth, tongue,” he said.
Counsel said it was “common case” between him and the complainant that oral sex took place. Mr Olding said she started performing oral sex on him and this went on for five to 10 minutes.
He said he did not force her in any way, either by what he said or by what he did. She did not say anything to indicate she did not wish to perform the act, he said.
Interruptions
Mr Olding said he remembered two interruptions - one was the woman stopping to ask for condoms and the other was him asking that she remove her top.
When she asked for condoms, Mr Olding said he looked up at Mr Jackson, who went to look for them but could not find them.
Counsel said the woman alleges she was ordered to take her top off but Mr Olding denied this. He said it was removed willingly.
Mr Olding said he had no recollection of a witness, Dara Florence, entering the room. This could be because she did not enter the room completely or because of “my state of mind, my drunkenness,” he said.
He said the oral sex ended when he told the woman he was going to ejaculate. He said while she was performing oral sex on him, Mr Jackson was behind her.
“From the position he was in, I assumed he was doing something but I can’t be certain what he was doing.”
Mr Olding said left the room and wiped himself down.
Asked what he thought would happen next between Mr Jackson and the woman, he said he thought the sexual activity would continue between them.
He said there was no sign she was being forced or in distress during incident he said. He would not have done anything if there was a sign of distress.
Asked if he saw his co-accused, Blane McIlroy, who is accused of exposing himself to the woman, was in the room, Mr Olding said he was not.
“That is the truth”.
Mr Olding said he left bedroom and went to sleep elsewhere.
Counsel for the prosecution, Toby Hedworth QC will later have an opportunity to question Mr Olding on his version of events.
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.
Mr Jackson spent more than 3½ hours giving evidence on Wednesday.
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.
