Coulson was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a French court after he was found guilty of raping the then 20-year-old woman in Bordeaux in 2017
Yesterday, Irish former rugby player Coulson was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a French court after he was found guilty of raping the then 20-year-old woman in Bordeaux in 2017.
Separately, former Irish international Chris Farrell, who was his teammate at the time, was given a four-year sentence with two of those suspended for failure to prevent a crime.
Loick Jammes, (30) from France was also found guilty of rape and given a 14-year sentence, while 34-year-old Rory Grice (34) from New Zealand was found guilty of rape and given a 12-year sentence.
Additionally, 30-year-old Dylan Hayes from New Zealand was also given a two-year suspended sentence for failure to prevent a crime.
Former Ireland player Chris Farrell arrives for trial at the Bordeaux courthouse. (Getty Images)
The verdicts were delivered on Friday evening in a criminal trial court at La Cour d’Assises, in the southwestern region of Gironde, in France.
Speaking after the trial, which was held privately, away from the media behind closed doors, at the victim’s request, her lawyer said she was delighted with the verdict.
“It is a very strong signal sent to the men of this country, to the world of rugby and to women too,” Gaessy Gros said.
“Ladies, you are free. Free to get drunk, to go out, to dress as you want. This freedom is priceless. We wanted to call it into question. You are not the cause of the danger.”
The court heard that all five defendants, who were teammates at FC Grenoble at the time, had denied the charges against them.
Coulson, who is now 30 years old, has retrained in construction, while Dylan Hayes (also 30) has retired from sport and is currently unemployed.
However, Jammes (30), Farrell (31) and Grice (34) all still play rugby, the former at Provence Rugby and the latter two at Oyonnax.
The Pro D2 clubs that employ the former Grenoble players issued a statement saying they reserved “the right to take additional decisions based on future legal developments.”
The Haut-Bugey club declared that it “has taken note of the judgment pronounced this Friday, December 13, by the Gironde Assize Court concerning Rory Grice and Chris Farrell.
“Following this court decision, the club informs that it will communicate in the coming days concerning the consequences of the Assize Court’s decision on the future of the two players.
No further comment will be made on this subject.”
The Aix-en-Provence club had also “taken note of the verdict handed down today by the Gironde Assize Court concerning Loïck Jammes, convicted of gang rape dating back to 2017”.
“Given the seriousness of this case, we would first like to express our sincere thoughts for the complainant and reaffirm our commitment against all forms of violence,” the club stated.
“The club obviously respects the possibility of appeal in this case. In accordance with our values and our responsibilities, we reserve the right to make additional decisions based on future legal developments.”
Dublin man Coulson, who is a former Irish U20 prop, was playing for French club FC Grenoble at the time of the incident.
Farrell is a centre from Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone, who played 15 times for Ireland, including in the 2019 World Cup.
He was also a member of Ireland’s Grand Slam winning squad in 2018.
The court heard that he will not spend any time behind bars but will have to wear an electronic tag and stay in France.
In March 12, 2017, the student said she was in tears as she left a hotel on the outskirts of Bordeaux, where the Grenoble team spent the night after losing a league match against Bordeaux-Begles.
The court heard that the woman met the group of five while out socialising with two of her friends in a pub in Bordeaux and joined them in a nightclub after.
According to an account given to prosecutors, and previously reported in the French newspaper Le Monde, she woke up the next morning naked in a hotel room surrounded by rugby players.
Later that day, she filed a complaint with police, alleging she had been the subject of a gang rape.
The three men convicted of rape had told investigators that they had sexual relations with the victim, but claimed that the encounter was consensual.
However, she was heavily intoxicated at the time of the incident while a and a video showed Coulson carrying her to the hotel where the rape was committed, reports L’Equipe.
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