Trial of the ex-Grenoblois – Defendants presented in their best light: story of the second day of the trial

The second day of the trial was devoted to studying the personalities of the three men prosecuted for gang rape. They obviously gave the best image of themselves. But their defenders brought to light another version of the terrible evening, by calling into question the notion of rape.

The second day of the trial of the former Grenoble players was entirely devoted to personality interrogations, and more particularly to those of the three men prosecuted for gang rape: Rory Grice, Loïck Jammes and Denis Coulson.

Denis Coulson came first, in the morning, with testimonies from his partner, a lawyer by profession, and his former coach Mike Ruddock (former Wales coach). The latter spoke by videoconference (read our article Trial of ex-Grenoblois: Denis Coulson was described as a “gentleman”).

Reggiardo and El Abd present

In the afternoon, Loïck Jammes and Rory Grice had the same experience. Mauricio Reggiardo and Denis Philipon came to speak about the first. Dougal Bendjaballah and Joe El Abd played a similar role opposite Rory Grice. Grégoire Mouly, who represents the plaintiff, was a privileged and attentive spectator: “Loïck Jammes was quite honest about the third half. He explained that it existed, even if it's not always what we think. He spoke of a life of people not entirely normal , with a certain notoriety and a pressure that he had to know how to release. He clarified that this alcoholism was occasional because we cannot go out as we want. But he insisted on his innocence regarding what he was accused of. “

Rory Grice also appeared calm and humble. He was questioned by his lawyer, Philip Fitzgerald, a former rugby player for Toulon after having trained in Scotland, his native country. The lawyer spoke of his client's talent with the expertise of a specialist and highlighted the harm that this affair caused him, undoubtedly preventing him from having a very brilliant career. The moment was described as moving by another participant in the trial: “Rory Grice is a very serious man, he is a family man. All these aspects have been discussed. But Rory Grice is an exceptional man: when we talk about him, we hear the same things unanimously. He It must nevertheless be remembered that he proclaims his innocence. The facts are recognized as materially consensual and absolutely not as gang rape.”

Defenders of Jammes and Grice absolutely deny rape

This second day marked a turning point with the firm voice of the rugby players' defenders, whereas, until now, only the civil party had had the right to be heard. The lawyers of Grice, Farrell, Hayes and Coulson had spoken little or not in the media for their own reasons. But this Tuesday, in Bordeaux, an alternative version of the pattern of rape and sexual assault of an unconscious young girl was exposed.

Maître Denis Dreyfus, lawyer for Loïck Jammes, declared in the morning: “We are going to plead for acquittal because there is no room for the slightest doubt in this case. It would have been wise for the institution to stop at the level of precise and consistent evidence. The courage of an institution, it is not to create illusions, including for the civil party. This referral seems out of place to me. We wanted psychological experts to replace the reality of what happened in this room. Jammes, entered this room around 7 o'clock, in a situation which was not that of the alcoholism at the beginning of the evening. He had no doubt about the gestures which, in a sexual relationship, were the expression of consent. I discovered this file, I read this sentence in the first statements of the civil party: 'I was afraid I had consented.' This shows a real difficulty in this case on the notion of rape.”

A little earlier, Valérie Coriatt, who defends Rory Grice with Philip Fitzgerald, had confided: “We are going to plead for acquittal. That is the difficulty of this case: we are talking about rape in a meeting. But the meeting did not take place at all times. The scene took place over several hours. Some actors were entering, others were leaving. My client arrived last, at 5:40 a.m. at the hotel, he did not know what had happened. We cannot consider him the one who finished the scene, he. didn't know what happened beforehand. He did not witness the drinking of the civil party. He was not in contact with her. He arrived at the hotel at 5:40 a.m. with another young girl with whom he had, moreover, a consensual intercourse He entered at the time when the complainant was having a sexual relationship with one of the co-defendants He admits a sexual act with the complainant, but she allegedly invited him to perform fellatio. Direct remarks which, certainly, offer another version of the affair.