LAWYERS REPRESENTING PADDY Jackson have issued a notice of intention to sue Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.
The statement issued by KRW Law, based in Belfast, says it had “no option” but to issue the notice due to the alleged “defamatory comments made by him in the immediate aftermath of the jury’s verdict”.
Senior Associate Marie Hans confirmed that “pre-action libel correspondence against a named senator in the Republic of Ireland” has been issued.
The legal action relates to a tweet sent to a number of other persons before it was eventually taken down.
We will not hesitate to repeat similar legal action against anyone, who deliberately or otherwise, sees fit to attack our client. We are examining carefully every item of social media commentary which seeks to challenge the integrity of the jury’s full endorsement of our client’s innocence.
It added that High Court proceedings will issue shortly in both Belfast and Dublin.
It is understood the senator has received the correspondence.
The Labour Party said it would not be making any comment on the matter.
Yesterday, a jury found all four men in the Belfast rugby rape trial not guilty on all charges.
Ireland and Ulster rugby duo Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding have been found not guilty of raping a 19-year-old student in June 2016.
It took the Belfast Crown Court jury of eight men and three women three hours and 40 minutes following the marathon nine-week trial to unanimously acquit the pair of the charges against them.
Blane McIlroy (26), from Royal Lodge Road, was acquitted on the charge of exposure, and Rory Harrison (25) from Manse Road, also Belfast, was acquitted of charges of perverting the course of public justice, and withholding information.
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