Miscellaneous facts – Trial of the ex-Grenoblois: facts, accused, program… Everything you need to know about the trial

Reminder of the facts

This Monday, December 2, 2024, five ex-Grenoble players appear before the Gironde assizes to answer serious accusations. Reminder of the facts: on March 12, 2017, a 20-year-old young woman filed a complaint in Bordeaux after leaving, several hours earlier and in tears, a hotel located in Mérignac, in the west of Bordeaux. She declares that she was the victim of gang rape, attributed to several professional players from the Grenoble rugby club, who had faced Bordeaux-Bègles the day before during the 20th day of the Top 14.

In her statement, she explains that she and two friends of hers met several rugby players in a bar before continuing the evening in a nightclub. The one who was then a student then had no more memories of the rest of the evening. She wakes up the next day, naked, in a hotel room, in the company of two players, also undressed, and three others, dressed. The facts denounced are then untenable: the complainant surrenders realizes when she wakes up that a crutch is inserted into her vagina (the procedure made it known that a “genetic expertise made it possible in particular to find the genetic profile of the civil party on the crutches used”). In shock, she quickly left the scene, contacted a friend, found her family, then went to the police station three hours later. Three former FCG players — Denis Coulson (Ireland), Rory Grice (New Zealand) and Loïc Jammes (France) — are accused of gang rape, a crime punishable by 20 years in prison. Chris Farrell (Ireland) and Dylan Hayes (New Zealand) are being prosecuted for failure to assist a person in danger, an offense punishable by five years in prison. Coulson, Jammes, and Grice have always denied coercion and speak of a consensual sexual relationship. The trial was to be held at least in June, but a twist of events caused it to be postponed. One of the defendants, Denis Coulson, was the victim of a serious road accident in Ireland, making it impossible for him to appear.

Who are the five players?

Denis Coulson (30 ans) : of Irish origin, Coulson played as a left pillar under the colors of Grenoble. It was he who brought the young woman back to the hotel in 2017. After his dismissal from the FCG seven years ago, the one who was trained at Leinster left France to join Connacht. After a season on the other side of the Channel, he played for Stade français (2018-2019) then Carcassonne (2019-2020). Coulson has since stopped his career.

Loïck Jammes (30 years old): also fired by the FCG after the affair, the hooker has been playing for many seasons at Provence Rugby. Before settling down with Aix, he defended the colors of Agen (2017-2018) and Brive (2018-2019). Note that the latter is under contract until 2025 with the Provençal club.

Rory Grice (34 ans) : it is the best known of the five. After leaving Grenoble, number eight bounced back to Oyonnax. For seven years, he has been one of the executives of the Indinois club, with whom he experienced the Top 14 and Pro D2. His contract at “Oyo” runs until 2025. Rory Grice started last Friday against Mont-de-Marsan.

Chris Farrell (31 ans) : since March 2023, Farrell has played alongside Grice at Oyonnax. After Grenoble, the center left his bags in Ireland, where he played 74 matches with Munster, who dismissed him in September 2022 due to this affair. The one who was trained at Ulster has 15 caps with the XV of Clover.

Dylan Hayes (30 ans) : he was not fired by the FCG after the young woman's complaint. He left Isère in 2018 and subsequently wore the colors of Soyaux-Angoulême, Agen and Valence-Romans. Hayes ended his sports career in early 2024 due to injuries. Note that the person concerned did not play the UBB-FCG match in March 2017, he was a reserve that evening.

The victim should request closed session

As she did last spring, the alleged victim of the former Grenoble players should request the closed session this Monday. The debates should then take place without an audience. If the request is accepted, only jurors, witnesses, lawyers and magistrates will be able to remain in the room.

Presidency, ddefense and tanger at splace of jurors

Marie-Noëlle Billaud will be the president of the court. The public prosecutor will be represented by Philippe Vique. At 2 p.m., this Monday, December 2, the jury draw will take place. The three main defendants: Denis Coulson, Loïck Jammes and Rory Grice, are defended respectively by Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt, of the Paris bar, Denis Dreyfus, of the Grenoble bar, and Philip Fitzgerald, lawyer at the Toulon bar. Maître François Saint-Pierre, of the Lyon bar, will defend Chris Farrell, and Maître Arnaud Lucien, of the Toulon bar, Dylan Hayes.

The young woman, now 28 years old, has become a civil party and will be represented by lawyers Anne Cadiot-Feidt, Grégoire Mouly, Gaessy Gros and Victoria Nauche, of the Bordeaux bar.