A man pleads guilty to having published the name of a woman at the center of the Belfast rape trial

A man pleaded guilty to having published the name of a woman at the center of a rape lawsuit involving two rugby stars.

Sean McFarland was fined £ 300 after being found guilty of violating a lifetime ban to reveal the identity of the plaintiff in the case of former gamblers. Ireland and Ulster, Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding.

He is the first person in Northern Ireland to be prosecuted for the offense.

Messrs. Jackson (26) and Olding (25) were unanimously reported to have raped the woman following a highly publicized trial held earlier this year.

In an unprecedented public interest, comments on social media persisted throughout the 42-day criminal proceedings in Belfast.

The complainant is entitled to remain anonymous for the rest of her life.

McFarland (36) of Rinnalea Gardens, in the west of the city, was charged with publishing his name between February 7 and 9 this year, in violation of the Offenses Act of 1992 badual abuse (modification).

He was expected to challenge the allegation, the date of his trial to be set at the Belfast Court of First Instance.

However, the court service confirmed that McFarland pleaded guilty at today's hearing.

On this basis, the fine of £ 300 was imposed plus a fee of £ 15 for violators.

Following the final result, Marianne O'Kane, head of the Major Crime Unit of the Northern Prosecution Service, urged social media users to avoid public comment on live debates.

"Plaintiffs of rape and other badual offenses automatically enjoy guaranteed anonymity for life, except in very limited circumstances," she said.

"The public, especially social media users, must be fully aware of the importance of this right."

Ms. O. Kane added, "This case highlights the fact that publish the name, address or image of any complainant of a serious badual offense if it is likely to lead to the The identification of the complainant is a criminal offense – and we will prosecute that. offense where the prosecution test is met.

"We would also like to ask the public to be extremely careful when publishing any type of comment on a live court proceeding, given the potential risk of prejudice to a fair trial."

Jackson and Olding were unanimously acquitted of the rape of that 19-year-old woman at a party at Mr. Jackson's after a party in Belfast in June 2016.

Blane McIlroy (26) has been unanimously released from any disclosure charges, while Rory Harrison (25) has been unanimously found not guilty of falsifying the course of justice and concealing information. at the same trial.

On the other hand, in a post-hearing PSNI statement, Chief Inspector Zoe McKee of the Northern Public Protection Branch said, "We welcome Sean McFarland's conviction today." After pleading guilty to a charge of violating a plaintiff's life ban in a rape trial that took place in Belfast earlier this year.

"This is the first time that people in Northern Ireland have been prosecuted for violating this right to anonymity and should deter anyone who appoints a complainant for a serious badual offense and who has the right to anonymous life.

"The Police Service of Northern Ireland is fully committed to investigating offenses of this nature.

"We understand how difficult it can be for anyone to report a rape. I encourage all people who have been victims of a badual crime, whether recently or in the past, to contact the police or to talk to someone about what's happened to them. past. "