Ulster rugby and Ireland international players Stuart Olding and Paddy Jackson were yesterday found not guilty of raping a woman following a lengthy trial.
Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison were also found not guilty for their respective charges of exposure and perverting the course of justice.
Now that the trial is finished, the full transcript of the messages sent between the players as well as between the complainant and her friends has been released to the public, as reported by Belfast Live.
Paddy Jackson, Stuart Olding, Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison met up on Monday June 26, 2016, had a few drinks at Cutter's Wharf pub and the Merchant Hotel before heading back to Jackson's house with four women.
McIlory messaged Jackson saying: "Is there a possibility of a threesome?"
The complainant claimed the after-party was getting a bit hectic and she decided to leave. She claimed she had to go upstairs to get her bag and Jackson appeared from behind and raped her before Stuart Olding joined in.
She added that McIlroy tried to join in but didn't go through with it.
Harrison shared a cab with her around 5am, walked her to her door and hugged her. When he left, he sent her a message saying: "Keep the chin up you wonderful young woman."
She replied: "Thank you so much for leaving me home, I really appreciate it Rory, you've been far too kind."
In the morning, the woman messaged her friend saying: "Worst night ever, so I got raped."
She sent a text to another friend saying: "So I got raped by 3 Ulster fucking rugby scum brilliant fucking night.
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"I feel sick."
She explained how the alleged rape went down, telling her friend: "[Paddy Jackson had] already tried it on earlier and I firmly told him where to go.
"The next thing I'm bent over the bed.
"I have bruising on my inner thighs. I feel like I've got bruising literally on my fanny. They were so rough I've got my period a week earlier."
She said she was crying throughout the alleged ordeal and that a 'really nice guy' took her home. Her friend suggested she go to the police and tell them what happened, but the complainant replied: "I'm not going to the police. I'm not going up against Ulster Rugby. Yea because that'll work.
"I'd report it if I knew they'd get done but they won't."
Her friend tried to reassure her by saying: "This does not define your life from now on. You need counselling. You just cannot deal with this on your own. You need to get a full screening. This is beyond serious now."
That same morning Olding's mate messaged him saying: "How was she?"
"She was very, very loose," was his reply.
He added: "We're all top shaggers. There was a bit of spit roasting going on last night fellas. It was like a merry go round at the carnival."
Jackson messaged the group saying: "There was a lot of spit roast last night."
Harrison messaged McIlroy: "What the fuck was going on. Last night was hilarious." But when he was questioned about the complainant, he told him: "Mate no jokes she was in hysterics, wasn't going to end well."
The complainant texted Harrison saying: "To be honest no, I know you must be mates with those guys but I don't like them and what happened was not consensual which is why I was so upset.
"Again, thank you for taking me home. That was really appreciated."
Jackson, Olding, McIIroy and Harrison met for lunch that day while the complainant went to the Brook Clinic in Belfast before heading to a sexual assault referral centre in Antrim.
Two days later, the complainant was interviewed by police and less than two hours later, Jackson received a message telling him to get a lawyer.
The players started messaging between themselves about the complainant, with McIlroy writing: "Do you know who this girl even is, this is ridiculous, surely it's all just gonna get dropped?"
Harrison said: "Hopefully it'll be thrown out, Just a silly girl who's been done something then regretted it. She's causing so much trouble for the lads" and "Yeah if that got out like.
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"The other thing is the cops went straight to Les Kiss [assistant coach of Ireland] which is fucking ridiculous."
The jury for the case deliberated for nearly four hours before reaching their not guilty verdicts.
Judge Patricia Smyth told the court: "This has probably been the most difficult trial that any jury in Northern Ireland has ever been asked to adjudicate on."
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