Jackson's life "blighted" by rape allegations, court hears
Defence lawyer Brendan Kelly QC made the comments as he continued his closing submission to the jury.
Brendan Kelly QC described the evidence against the sportsman as "untruthful and inconsistent''.
Summing up the evidence on Friday, the defence lawyer warned the jury at Belfast Crown Court not to pay attention to the headlines the case has attracted.
"We have got this headline of rugby player every day. Rugby rape.
"But you scratch the surface of this man, Paddy Jackson, you start to see a bit more. You get to see what he is,'' said Mr Kelly.
He added: "The question is, does the quality of this evidence with its untruths and central inconsistencies, does it deserve a conviction of this gravity?''
"Twenty months of his (Jackson's) life have been blighted by evidence of this poor quality.
"Each time evidence was checked, each time evidence came from a video or another source, the complainant's account fell.''
Mr Kelly told the jury that Jackson had not been obliged to take the stand in his own defence but he chose to do so.
"A defendant need play no part in a criminal trial. Some defendants choose to give evidence.
"In this case Mr Jackson and his co-defendants have all given evidence. No one has hidden. No one has tried to conceal. Everyone has got up, with their good character, and given their account,'' he said.
Referring to Mr Jackson's success on the rugby field, Mr Kelly asked the jury not to hold that against him.
"He's not looking for special treatment. That's never been his pitch ever,'' he said.
The lawyer added: "Don't fall into 'is he trying to play the rugby card?'
"He's not. The fact he played for Ireland - so what?''
He referred to CCTV footage outside Ollies nightclub which showed Jackson standing with his hands in his pockets.
"The person you look at there is half an hour later turned into a marauding rapist,'' said Mr Kelly.
He also said witness Dara Florence would have helped the alleged victim if she thought an attack was unfolding when she entered the bedroom where Jackson and teammate Stuart Olding were engaged in sexual activity with her.
"Dara Florence confirmed from what she could see (the woman) was not distressed,'' he said.
"Dara Florence was not stupid. She was articulate. She spoke clearly.''
Mr Kelly added: "Dara Florence's evidence is extraordinary. In she walked and that was her conclusion.''
Referring to Ms Florence's evidence that Jackson asked her if she wanted to join in, Mr Kelly said: "What did they do to conceal (the rape)?''
He added: "When people commit crime they tend to hide, they tend to conceal what they did because they don't want to get caught.
"What did these two violent rapists do when she walked in? They invited her to join in. Dara Florence is absolutely central to this case.''
The defence lawyer made the comments as he continued his closing submission to the jury.
Ms Florence was one of three girls at the house party where the alleged rape took place.
Mr Kelly said there was no sign that those women would have done anything other than help the alleged victim if they witnessed a rape.
"(The alleged victim) confirmed that the girls had been nice to her downstairs,'' he said.
"There was no suggestion made by (the woman) that they would do something other than help a girl of her age in those circumstances.''
Mr Kelly added: "There was no sign from their behaviour that night that they would do anything other than help her if they witnessed her being raped.
"The backdrop is not a form of animosity. There was no enemy or foe presented in (witness) Dara Florence.''
He also said that Ms Florence had no phone at the time when she walked in.
"Dara Florence had no telephone in her hand at the door. There were no pictures being taken at the door,'' he said.
Jackson, 26, from Belfast's Oakleigh Park and Olding, 25, from Ardenlee Street in the city, deny raping the same woman after a night out in Belfast on June 28 2016. Jackson denies a further charge of sexual assault.
Two other men are also on trial on charges connected with the alleged attack.
Blane McIlroy, 26, from Royal Lodge Road in Belfast, denies one count of exposure. Rory Harrison, 25, from Manse Road in Belfast has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice and withholding information.
The trial is in its seventh week.
Jackson's defence has now concluded summing up the evidence.
The case was adjourned until Wednesday and the judge advised the jury to put the case out of their minds until then