Court reserves judgement on application by Paddy Jackson to recover legal costs from rape trial

Judgement has been reserved in a case taken by Paddy Jackson to recover the significant legal bill he had to pay for his nine-week rape trial.

Rugby star Paddy Jackson has no current offers of employment and continues to pay an enormous personal price despite being resoundingly acquitted of rape, his lawyer claimed as he called on prosecutors to pay his legal costs.

Brendan Kelly QC told a judge in Belfast Crown Court that Jackson, 26, had done nothing to bring the situation upon himself, revealing that his client's salary had been halved when he was charged last year.