Hayden Charles Topliss, Ryan Hawkshaw plead not guilty to the sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman at Scone
Two Upper Hunter rugby league players have denied allegations they forced themselves on a 19-year-old woman in an alleged late night incident. Read what happened in court.
Newcastle
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Two Hunter bush footy stars have denied allegations they both forced themselves on a 19-year-old woman in an alleged late night incident.
Scone Thoroughbred rugby league players Hayden Charles Topliss, 35, and Ryan Hawkshaw, 26, were arrested in September last year relating to an alleged incident in April 2023 at Scone where the pair are accused of having sexual intercourse with the teenager without her consent.
Police allege Hawkshaw was having consensual sex with the 19-year-old and asked if his mate could join but, despite saying “no”, the two men allegedly forced her.
In Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday, Topliss and Hawkshaw both pleaded not guilty to three charges of aggravated sexual assault in company.
Topliss also pleaded not guilty to additional charges of sexual intercourse without consent relating to the same alleged incident and a charge of sexually touching another person without consent.
That related to an alleged incident almost a year later at Scone on April 20 last year with the same woman.
Both men have been committed for trial and will be arraigned on July 10.
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