STUART OLDING has denied that the women who has accused him of rape was merely a vehicle for his ‘sexual desires’ on the night of the alleged incident.
Olding, who the court heard had 23 drinks in the 12 hours leading up to the alleged incident, also denied alcohol had clouded his judgement, saying everything that took place was consensual.
Belfast Crown Court heard that Ulster and Ireland rugby player Olding started drinking at 4.30pm and had 23 drinks over the next 12 hours.
Olding, 24, told the court he was “pretty drunk but still coherent”.
He said that after going back to co-accused Paddy Jackson’s house in the early hours of June 28, 2016, he went to go to bed but went into the room where Jackson, 26, was with the young woman.
He went to leave but the woman “held out her hand as an invitation to stay".
He said he stayed for 10 minutes, during which the woman willingly performed oral sex on him, before going to bed in another room.
He told his defence barrister Frank O'Donoghue QC: "I didn't force her in any way."
'Vehicle for your sexual desires'
Referring to the amount of alcohol Olding had consumed, prosecution barrister QC Toby Hedworth put it to him: "If you had that amount of drink there's a danger of disregarding the wishes or views of another person if they get in the way of what you want to achieve."
Mr Olding replied: "I wouldn't agree with that."
Mr Hedworth said: "Like Paddy Jackson, you were not interested in what she wanted to do or was prepared to do.
“She was just a vehicle for your own sexual desires that night."
Mr Olding replied: "I wouldn't put it that way."
''Everything was consensual'
Referring to the professional rugby players’ strength, Mr Hedworth asked: “What match is a 19-year-old woman going to be for the pair of you if she is going to try to resist?"
Mr Olding answered: "If she had resisted in any way or didn't want it to happen I wouldn't have had a problem with that, I wouldn't have carried on."
Olding also denied being involved in a cover-up with his co-accused, saying: “No, that's completely untrue. Everything that happened that night was consensual."
Olding and Jackson are both accused of rape, while the latter is also accused of sexual assault.
Blane McIlroy, 26, of Royal Lodge Road, Belfast, is charged with one count of exposure.
Rory Harrison, 25, of Manse Road, Belfast, is charged with perverting the course of justice and withholding information.
All four men deny the charges.
