The jury in the trial of two Ireland rugby players accused of raping a woman has completed a visit to the house where itÂ’s alleged to have happened.
Paddy Jackson and his Ulster teammate Stuart Olding have both pleaded NOT guilty to the charge.
From Belfast, Our Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney reports:
Before finishing up for the day yesterday, Judge Patricia Smyth told the nine men and three women of the jury that they will travel to the location in Oakleigh Park for what she described as a “locus inspection”.
The location she spoke of is the home of Ireland and Ulster rugby player Paddy Jackson who, along with his teammate Stuart Olding, is accused of raping a young student there in the early hours of June 28th 2016.
She claims she was raped after going back there following a night out in a club in Belfast city the night before.
Oakleigh Park is a development of semi-detached townhouses on the southside of the city just a short drive from Laganside Courts.
It’s less than 2km from the Kingspan Stadium – home of Ulster Rugby.
Judge Smyth, her tip-staff and representatives from the various legal teams also completed the tour of the house this morning.
A police cordon was put in place and the media were not allowed to attend.
The womanÂ’s cross-examination will enter its sixth day when the trial resumes on Monday.
