A 30-year-old man has been convicted in Belfast after admitting that he used social media to publish the name of a complainant in a rape trial involving two Ireland and Ulster rugby players earlier this year.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) for Northern Ireland said that Sean McFarland appeared in court in Belfast yesterday [insert date] and pleaded guilty.

Breach

He was fined £300 for the breach, and is the first person to be prosecuted for this offence.

Complainants in rape cases are entitled to lifelong anonymity and McFarland was charged with breaching a ban on identifying and naming an alleged victim.

Trial

In the case that ran from January to March this year, sportsmen Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were acquitted of charges relating to the alleged rape of a then 19-year-old woman in Jackson's home in Belfast in June 2016.

Two other men, Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison, were also acquitted of lesser charges.

Marianne O'Kane of the Public Prosecution Service said: "This case underlines that it is a criminal offence to publish the name, address or image of any complainant of a serious sexual offence if it is likely to lead to the complainant's identification – and we will prosecute for such an offence where the test for prosecution is met.

Care

"We would also ask the public to take extreme care when publishing any type of commentary on any live court proceedings, given the potential risk of prejudice to a fair trial."