Paddy Jackson has told his trial there was no force involved in his sexual interactions with a woman who claims he raped her.
The Ireland and Ulster rugby player is giving evidence in defence of an allegation he raped and sexually assaulted the woman in his home in 2016.
Paddy Jackson said he was shocked when he received a call from his head coach two days after an afters party at his house to say the police were looking for him and he said he had no idea what it was about.
The woman claims he tried to undo her trousers during a first visit to his bedroom where they shared a consensual kiss and that he raped her when she went back upstairs to get her bag.
He denies her version of events entirely and insists they didn't have sex. He said she performed oral sex on him after following him to his room for a second time. He said it wasn't forced and she seemed to be enjoying it.
When asked if it any point he believed her to not be consenting, he said “No” and denied meeting friends afterwards to come up with a lie.
His Ireland and Ulster rugby teammate Stuart Olding denies one count of oral rape and two of their friends are also on trial for various offences arising from the same alleged incident.
After a two-day adjournment due to a juror being unwell, the trial resumed this morning with Paddy Jackson being called to the stand.
He told the court he isn’t aggressive or violent and has never been in a fight or thrown a punch.
At a party back at his house following a night out in June 2016, he said he noticed the complainant looking at him so he smiled at her.
He said she twice followed him to his bedroom. He said they shared a “passionate” kiss the first time and claimed she performed oral sex on him the second time.
He denied using force at any point and said she seemed to be enjoying it.
He described his Ireland and Ulster teammate Stuart Olding coming in at one point and said she turned her attention to him and also performed oral sex on him. Mr. Olding denies one count of oral rape.
When asked about another woman’s claim she walked in on Mr. Jackson having sex with the woman, he said: “she’s wrong, she’s mistaken”.
