Rugby rape trial hears Stuart Olding's DNA found on clothing and underwear of alleged victim

Latest: Semen matching the DNA profile of Ireland and Ulster rugby player Stuart Olding was found on clothing and underwear worn by a woman he is alleged to have raped, a court has heard.

Rugby rape trial hears Stuart Olding's DNA found on clothing and underwear of alleged victim

Update 5pm: Semen matching the DNA profile of Ireland and Ulster rugby player Stuart Olding was found on clothing and underwear worn by a woman he is alleged to have raped, a court has heard.

Samples taken from the woman's purple thong-style pants, white jeans and black sequinned top were examined by a senior forensic officer who was giving evidence to Belfast Crown Court.

Prosecutor Toby Hedworth QC asked: "Were the jeans examined to see if there were traces of semen?"

Confirming they had been tested, the Forensic Service of Northern Ireland officer answered: "The DNA matched that of Stuart Olding."

Stuart Olding
Stuart Olding

The jeans were described in notes as "grubby and stained" with blood matching samples from the alleged victim visible on several areas including the thigh, knee and waistband, the forensic officer said.

The woman's blood was also detected on the crotch area of the trousers, the court heard.

Stuart Olding and his Ireland and Ulster team mate Paddy Jackson deny raping the same woman during a house party at Jackson's south Belfast home almost two years ago.

Jackson denies a further charge of sexual assault.

Paddy Jackson
Paddy Jackson

Two other men are also on trial on charges connected to the same alleged incident.

The jury of nine men and three women was shown photographs of the clothing worn by the woman on the night she claims to have been raped, June 28, 2016.

Asked about tests carried out on her underwear, the forensic officer said: "The DNA recovered matched that of Mr Stuart Olding."

Blood from the woman was also visible on sections of the pants, the court heard.

Later, the forensic officer confirmed that Olding's sperm had been detected on the complainant's black sleeveless top.

"DNA from the semen found matched that of Mr Stuart Olding," she added.

The forensic officer also examined internal and external vaginal swabs taken from the complainant 14 hours after the alleged attack - which did not show the presence of semen, the court heard.

However, there was blood matching the alleged victim on the swabs.

A grey and white duvet cover retrieved from Paddy Jackson's bedroom, where the rape is alleged to have happened was also sent for examination.

Mr Hedworth asked: "Was blood staining visible?"

The forensic officer answered: "It was yes."

"Was that tested and found to match the DNA profile of the complainant?" the lawyer continued.

The forensic officer answered: "It was, yes."

Before discharging the jury for the day, Judge Patricia Smyth - who is presiding over the high profile case now in its fourth week - reiterated warnings for jurors not to discuss the case with anyone.

The judge said: "It is your view that counts in this case.

"Please do not discuss evidence with anyone. And, as I have said before, be on your guard."

The case has been adjourned until Thursday.

Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding.
Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding.

Earlier: Rugby rape trial hears most victims allow sexual assault to happen

Most victims of sexual assault allow the attack to happen, a forensic medical expert has told the rape trial of two Irish rugby players.

Janet Hall, who has extensive experience of dealing with the victims of sexual assault, was asked by a prosecution barrister whether the majority resisted.

She told Belfast Crown Court: "No, I think the evidence is overwhelming that it is allowed to happen."

Dr Hall was called to give evidence by the defence team for Ulster and Ireland fly half Paddy Jackson.

She questioned the findings of a doctor who had identified a tear in the vaginal wall of the complainant during an intimate medical examination hours after the alleged attack in June 2016.

Dr Hall viewed a DVD recording of the examination, the court heard.

She said: "The video does not show me where the laceration was. It just showed me a pool of blood."

However, she noted that lighting in the recording had been of poor quality.

She said there were four areas of the vagina that were commonly injured during a sexual assault.

Vaginal wall injuries were not common, she added.

"Dr (Philip) Lavery makes no mention of these in his report and that's an omission, in my view," said Dr Hall.

She later added: "Any injury can occur but vaginal wall injury is not common."

Quizzed by Jackson's defence barrister Brendan Kelly QC about potential causes of internal injuries, Dr Hall said he would have expected other structures to have been injured as well if excessive force was used.

She said: "If there was that amount of force it is hard to believe one injury happened inside and no injuries happened on the protecting structures outside."

The doctor also expressed confusion at the presence of a laceration that had been bleeding for 14 hours.

She said: "I would have been concerned about that quantity of bleeding persisting from an injury. Injuries heal quite quickly in this area."

Jackson, 26, from Oakleigh Park in Belfast, and Stuart Olding, 24, from Ardenlee Street, Belfast, deny raping the woman at a party in Jackson's home on June 28 2016.

Jackson also denies a further charge of sexual assault.

Two other men are also charged in connection with the incident. Blane McIlroy, 26, from Royal Lodge Road, Ballydollaghan, Belfast, denies exposure and Rory Harrison, 25, from Manse Road, Belfast, denies perverting the course of justice and withholding information.

The case continues.

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