De Belin, Sinclair to face trial on five sexual assault charges
St George Illawarra Dragon Jack de Belin could face life behind bars, if found guilty and is given the maximum sentence for an additional sexual assault charge. The footballer faced Wollongong Local Court with his co-accused Callan Sinclair on Wednesday morning.
St George Illawarra Dragon Jack de Belin has been committed to stand trial, after he allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage girl inside a Wollongong apartment last year.
De Belin and his co-accused Callan Sinclair, who deny the allegations, faced Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, where a fresh charge of aggravated sexual assault in company causing actual bodily harm was laid on each of the pair.
Both men are now facing five charges each, including four counts of aggravated sexual assault in company.
The charge of aggravated sexual assault in company causing actual bodily harm carries a potential maximum punishment of life in prison, while the other charges can carry up to 20 years.
De Belin and Sinclair were committed to stand trial in the NSW District Court on Wednesday by Magistrate Michael Stoddart, with their arraignment date set down for August 20.
The pair were arrested and charged last December, accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at a Wollongong apartment in the early hours of December 9.
At the time of their arrests, they were each charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault in company. De Belin previously pleaded not guilty to the original charge, while Sinclair indicated he would also fight the charge.
Prosecutors allege de Belin and Sinclair jointly-assaulted the teenage girl at de Belin’s cousin’s apartment on Gipps Street, following a pub crawl in the Wollongong CBD.
De Belin did not speak during his appearance, nor when he left the courthouse.
IN OTHER NEWS
‘No baggage’: Highlands voters reject controversial former councillors
Controversial former councillors have been rejected at the ballot box in the Southern Highlands, receiving some of the lowest vote numbers among candidates as Wingecarribee Shire Council transitions out of administration.
Illawarra sale and auction results, week ending October 6
Illawarra recorded 23 property sales over a million dollars last week, the latest auction and sales results reveal.