The trial is over but the conversations continue.
Over 42 days the Belfast Crown Court heard the case of professional rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding and their friends, Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison.
JOE reporter Rosanna Cooney and Newstalk Courts’ Correspondent Frank Greaney were present in the courtroom throughout as Jackson and Olding were acquitted of raping a 19-year-old woman. McIlroy was acquitted of indecent exposure. Harrison was acquitted of perverting the course of public justice, and withholding information.
Speaking with host Paddy McKenna, Cooney and Greaney retell the story of the trial that gripped a nation describing;
- the mood in court as lewd Whatsapp message exchanges were read out for the first time,
- the reaction when Ireland rugby captain, Rory Best attended the trial,
- the moment when the courtroom fell into hush as the foreman of the jury stood to read the verdict.
Later on, the panel are joined by JOE’s Dion Fanning to discuss the key issue of consent and also the bragging culture of sports’ teams.
The verdict has sparked a massive reaction on social media and rallies in several Irish cities.
Listen to #TheStoryOfTheBelfastTrial:
iPhone: https://apple.co/2GEvA3G
Android: http://bit.ly/2GnMlgc
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