NRL star de Belin to face trial over rape allegations
St George star Jack de Belin will face trial in November over allegations he raped a 19-year-old woman after pre-trial legal arguments concluded.
NRL
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Rugby league star Jack de Belin will face trial in November scuppering any hope of him returning to the field this NRL season.
Pre-trial legal arguments concluded on Friday and de Belin, 29, and his co-accused Callan Sinclair will face a jury in November over allegations they raped a 19-year-old woman in a Wollongong apartment in December, 2018.
Both have pleaded not guilty to four counts of aggravated sexual assault in company and one count of aggravated sexual assault in company inflicting actual bodily harm.
They will face a readiness hearing on September 7, with the trial scheduled to begin on November 2 in the Wollongong District Court.
The St George Illawarra forward has been unable to play since early 2019 when he became the first player sidelined under the NRL’s “no fault” stand-down policy.
The NRL instituted its policy after its “summer from hell”, which was marred by a long series of off-field controversies including the allegations against de Belin.
He was hoping to be able to return this year.
However, even if St George qualify for the finals, which appears unlikely given they are four points outside the top eight heading into their round 16 clash with the Gold Coast on Friday night, the former NSW Blues representative will not be able to take the field again this year.
He was set to go to trial in February however the case was delayed by complex legal arguments.
Those legal arguments went through several delays including when a critical witness fell ill and due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Judge Andrew Haesler handed down his interlocutory judgment on Friday in the Wollongong District Court.
“The anticipated start date of the trials of de Belin and Sinclair was delayed by a pre-trial application of some complexity,” Judge Haesler said in an explanatory note released by the court.
“The application required a considerable amount of oral and documentary evidence to be put before the court.
“Some of that evidence related to matters over which an accused was entitled to claim legal professional privilege.
“Further, not all of that evidence is of direct relevance to issues a jury will have to consider and, as with most pre-trial legal applications, it cannot not be published until after the verdicts in the trial.”
De Belin entered the court flanked by his lawyers and agent Steve Gillis and did not speak to waiting media as he left.
During his stand-down, de Belin has been allowed to train and has been collecting his $595,000-a-year-salary.
He is off contract with the Dragons at the end of the NRL season but several clubs including St George Illawarra and the Warriors have expressed interest in signing him for 2021 should he be acquitted.
He will be officially off-contract on November 1, the day before he faces trial and it’s understood he has put contract negotiations to the side while he fights the allegations against him.
Originally published as NRL star de Belin to face trial over rape allegations