After the ‘consensual’ kiss…
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Ah - I see what you mean. That’s a tricky one cause it depends on who you believe re following up the stairs the second time though. He obviously did call it quits first time but then both parties say her tone changed/the party mood changed - was he in a pisser or was she?
Jackson she says went up after him… the second time… she says she went to get her bag…neither of which we can be sure who’s telling the truth here.
I would find it odd she was photographed putting her shoes back on (to leave as she says) though if she was planning on more action with Jackson. Shoes, bag…leave.
In cross examination complainant said on second visit to room she was second into room but not sure how door was closed
Mr Kelly QC is doing an excellent job for his client. When he gets to police investigation there may be some red faces.
I’m looking forward to that chapter myself
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Jackson’s police interview…no door closed in his version:
He said: “It sounds so weird saying it here. She had my penis in her mouth and was performing oral sex…that went on for a good bit… the door was already open or just half open.
She’s obviously a prod. A Catholic would have had the lights off, the door closed and missionary position only. Outrageous
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Them protestants - up to no good as usual 
Think Paddy is confusing the word “ajar” with the 20 “ajars” he’d had earlier.
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The biggest shock for me is that the victim is not a male, given that it is rugby players you would nearly be certain that it would be a man they raped.
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I understand Brendan Kelly has to do the best by his client and he is clearly a very articulate barrister…
This wording here is shocking though… “classic rape victim”…ouch. I think Kelly will do well with police/laceration stuff but this stuff surely won’t wash with any of the jury unless they’re bigots living in the dark ages.
Mr. Kelly QC claims she decided to run the line of “classic rape victim”. He said she woke up that morning and thought:
"My God, this could be on social media. If this gets out, I am ruined".
Like, if she was so worried about social media - why not there and then get one of the guys to take the phone off the girl, surely they wouldn’t want it on social media either right…? She didn’t mention social media/video to anyone - Harrison, or her friends.
She also didn’t get upset the next morning - she was upset there and then on the night. “Did you calm her down” - weird choice of words for someone to ask about a girl who was just crying a bit over being turned down by Paddy - the word calm would imply she was distressed. This is a pathetic defence.
Kelly would be better off focusing on Dara and the PSNI investigation.
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Hear hear.
Note he didn’t go down this aggressive route when she was on the stand for 8 days and make these points directly to her, as he didn’t think it would play well in front of the jury, and might be seen to be bullying her or casting aspersions on her.
The cross examination was more focused on hazy memories, confusion, assumed consent and so on. He’s going for the “she completely made it up” in closing now though as she’s not on the stand and won’t either answer back or break down crying under his attack.
I guess these are the tactics that defence and prosecution counsel consider all the time. It was also interesting that Toby seemed to go harder on McIlroy and Harrison in trying to establish the guilt of the others rather than giving the well known chaps additional time/opportunity to get their side across.
As an aside, I’d like to be able to see stats for the QCs along the lines you see for American sports.
For example: “Brendan Kelly, 11/3 with 2 mistrials in 2017, this is his first trial of 2018. He has an even 3-3 record when coming up against prosecution counsel Toby Hedsworth. He’s especially strong in defending rape cases and has a 18/5 record in such cases since 2009.”
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I gave you a like for the Top Trumps surreality, but the feeling I got from following the cross examination was that Kelly was very aggressive towards the complainant.
You’re probably right. I’m suffering from trial fatigue.
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Yes, it would be interesting alright to see their stats. I just feel Kelly is being a tad risque here with taking this view on things - the asking for it by flirting, being in the bedroom etc. It is 2018 after all.
I’m really hoping Hedworth will get the final world. I feel like he hasn’t “pinned” them enough with specifics re differences like how she left the house, the front door being locked by Mcilroy/Jackson yet girl came back in to get her phone etc…
Maybe all that is too confusing and casts too much doubt… I don’t know. I literally cannot wait to hear McIlroy’s barrister’s speech 
Surely he knows McIroy’s full of shit too - how he’s gonna keep a straight face 
I don’t think he’d have been allowed to be aggressive, nor would there have been much point as he’d probably got the answers he was looking for.
It depends on whether I take my top off or not 
Having breezed through a handful of comments on this thread I have arrived at the conclusion that these guys are guilty as hell
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Well, if you’ve put yourself to that much trouble we should take your opinion very seriously.
“She did touch Kyle Lafferty on the leg, for what it is worth,” he said.
“She did grab Will Grigg. She did stroke the face of the doctor.
“It’s more like ditched her friends,” said Mr Kelly, suggesting she was waiting for someone else.
“A crowbar would not have moved her that night,” he said.
“As far as (the complainant) was concerned she was on a mission to party that night.”
This is below the belt.
Tough shit
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