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09th Apr 2018

Aodhan O’Riordáin issues apology for tweet about the Belfast rape trial

Kate Demolder

Paddy Jackson

The Labour senator had posted a tweet showing his support for the woman at the centre of the recent rape trial.

Aodhán Ó’Ríordáin has apologised for a tweet he sent from his personal account in the wake of the highly-publicised rape trial held at Belfast Crown Court.

The Labour senator’s tweet garnered significant traction after he praised the courage of the complainant and also made references to the defendants as “smug well-connected middle-class boys”.

Paddy Jackson’s legal team released a statement shortly after discovering Ó’Ríordáin’s tweet was posted stating that they had no option but to issue a Notice of Intention to sue Mr Ó Ríordáin “for defamatory comments”.

Ó’Ríordáin stated that his solicitors are prepared for any legal dealings that may arise from the tweet.

The Dublin Bay North candidate took to Twitter on Monday morning to apologise for his comments, saying that his tweet was not intended to “suggest that either Paddy Jackson or any of the other accused men were guilty or that the jury got it wrong”.

Last week, Paddy Jackson released a statement mentioning how he feels “ashamed that a young woman who was a visitor to my home left in a distressed state”.

In the statement, issued through Press Association, Jackson said that public criticism of his behaviour was “fully justified” and he expressed determination to return to the values and principles that were “integral” in his upbringing, in particular, the importance of respect.

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