Thoughts on #suemepaddy ?

[Xmaspost]

Another very disturbing development post trial ...

"Ulster and Ireland rugby player Paddy Jackson has said he intends to sue Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Riordáin for defamation after the politician sent a tweet in the wake of the Belfast rape trial verdicts."

www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/paddy-jackson-s-lawyers-say-he-intends-to-sue-aodh%C3%A1n-%C3%B3-riord%C3%A1in-over-tweet-1.3445578

You'll easily find a copy of the original tweet that caused offense.... can't believe he'd do that. I'm thinking I should sign up for twitter and post with#suemepaddy

Thanks Maryz - link worked, although I didn’t finish the article. What revolting men. That poor young woman.

I guess the entitled posh boy can just keep throwing money at this and hope it'll make everyone believe it never happened.

I'd contribute to a crowdfunder too.

#suemepaddy seems to be trending in Ireland. Aodhán Ó Riordáin is a fairly popular politician, down with the kids. PJ has picked the wrong target if he's aiming for public support and reputation redemption.

I've been having a lovely time with a glass of wine reading the @suemepaddy tweets. It's cheered me up no end.

But this one wins

People are starting to see just what kind of repulsive vermin these men are...keep it up Putrid Jackson!👍👍👍

This case might be the one to awaken the most thick people to the misogyny in our midst.

It is diverting, Maryz. I'm enjoying my reading with a pink Gordon's and tonic. I quite like this one...

He needs to dump his lawyers and find a PR company. Mind you his become so toxic even the PR company might reject his money as it would be bad PR for them

Yep Grumpy liberal wins

And there are plenty of men pitching in too. I would disown him if he were my son.

If i were him id be lying low not playing billy bigbaws proclaiming to sue every tom dick and harry in the land

He should have quit while he was ahead.

The arrogance and sense of entitlement knows no bounds.

Hopefully it will massively backfire. I'm assuming in this kind of legal case the conclusion can be that the woman was telling the truth and it is not libellous to say so.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Lads, but isn't there an interesting legal issue here? Rape is an odd crime in that the victim can genuinely have withheld consent, but the actual crime hinges on the mens rea of the accused - if the jury thinks (within the rules set by reasonable doubt) that it's possible the accused believed he had consent, he walks (and I can envisage being a juror and thinking "well I believe she didn't give consent but I can't be sure he didn't know he didn't have consent."

So "I believe her" is actually entirely consistent with a not guilty verdict. And civil cases are decided on the balance of probabilities. So I think Paddy scum of the earth would be a fool to pursue this, because in a civil court he could well lose.

Argh, Lass, I meant Lass.

My phone's autocorrect is clearly an instrument of the patriarchy.

Yes that is correct Hairy about belief.

On the issue of beyond all reasonable doubt there was an English case where a woman was accused 4 men of gang rape. The police investigation, concluded that no rape had occurred and she was charged on four counts of perverting the course of public justice. She was acquitted on all counts on the defence that the Crown did not prove she was lying that all four had raped her.

And there is the Scottish case where the victim brought a successful civil case against her rapists when the Crown refused to.

I am LOVING this. Cheered me right up.

What a fucking idiot.

Oh I’ve just spent a very enjoyable hour reading all the suemepaddy tweets. Absolutely heartening to see those comments. I hope IRFU and Ulster rugby are paying attention.

I think my favourite tweet was:

"You're gonna need a bigger courthouse"

With a picture of the thousands of people protesting in Dublin.

I can't imagine what he and his lawyers are thinking.

Whatever the verdict, he's shown himself to be a very callous, misogynistic, selfish bastard.

There was another tweet along the lines of "regardless of the verdict, as a man, if a woman leaves your company hysterical and bleeding then your an utter scumbag".

You sue for liable where you reputation has been damaged. He no longer has a reputation to protect regardless of the verdict.

You only need to put # into Google and it comes up.

I like this one.

This one was excellent "He never told anyone not to comment on it. So I just presumed he was enjoying the comments. Im sure if he said no everyone would have respected his decision. Then my friends wanted to comment on him&he never said no. I assumed he was consenting #suemepaddy"

Was coming on to post the grumpy liberal tweet.

I hadn't followed this but I'm sickened. This is what Greer was talking about the other week.

Part me hopes the deluded little twit carries right on with this nonsense.

Every time he bobs up and shouts the odds, he looks more and more like a man who actually can't fathom that other people's thoughts and wishes don't always accord with his own.

Which is quite the insight into the mindset of a man accused of rape. People aren't stupid. They'll work that out.

That's it exactly Sophocles. He just doesn't get it does he?