Jarryd Hayne isolated from other inmates on first night behind bars

Jarryd Hayne spent his first night behind bars in isolation as authorities fear other inmates could be eager to attack the two-time Dally M winner to bolster their profile.

Convicted rapist Jarryd Hayne spent his first night behind bars alone after being immediately isolated from the other inmates inside his temporary new home at Parklea Correctional Centre.

Hayne, 33, was on Thursday ­sentenced in the Newcastle District Court to a minimum of three years and eight months in prison after being convicted by a jury in March on two counts of sexual assault without ­consent.

Jarryd Hayne was first taken to Parklea Correctional Centre. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Once one of the NRL’s brightest stars, Hayne’s new life as a rapist hit home immediately as he was led from the courtroom in handcuffs and driven from Newcastle to Parklea.

But, unlike most inmates, The Saturday Telegraph can reveal Hayne did get some special treatment by spending his first night in jail in a medical clinic bed.

While usually reserved for prisoners with medical issues or on suicide watch, the decision to put Hayne in clinic and to segregate him from the general population was made simply due to his high profile.

There are fears other inmates could be eager to attack the two-time Dally M winner to bolster their profile.

As soon as the footy star entered prison on Thursday night he was stripped naked and searched.

Life inside Parklea Correctional Centre.

He was then handed a regulation green prison uniform, allocated a Master Index Number (MIN) and taken away to a cell.

Already inside Parklea are some of the state’s most serious criminals, ­including killers and fellow rapists.

When Hayne woke on Saturday morning after his first night inside he was presented with a bowl of rice bubbles, the option of a cup of tea or coffee and a ration of long-life milk.

Most inmates spend three or four weeks at Parklea, a privately-owned maximum-security “reception prison” that is used by NSW Corrective Services to classify inmates as low, medium or high-risk.

Jarryd Hayne and his wife Amelia Bonnici leaving Downing Centre Court earlier in proceedings. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

During this period they are assessed and interviewed to ensure they are ­adjusting to their new lives.

Prison sources said that Hayne’s ­celebrity status will likely see him moved out of Parklea much sooner than his fellow inmates.

His more permanent home is likely to be at Cooma, a minimum security prison in chilly southern NSW.

Long before he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs on Thursday, Hayne had been planning to appeal his sexual assault conviction.

According to records with the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal, Hayne lodged a notice of intention to appeal on March 29.

This was one week after a jury in the Downing Centre District Court found him guilty over the incident that ­occurred at his victim’s home at Fletcher, near Newcastle, on NRL grand final night in September 2018.

Hayne has always maintained his innocence, despite a jury finding him guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Just hours before he was jailed on Thursday, Hayne said “I didn’t do it”, while giving evidence.

“What the law says is innocent until proven guilty, I was never afforded that,” Hayne claimed.

In the aftermath of the sentencing, Hayne’s supporters become involved in an altercation with media and the footy star’s victim.

As of last night, NSW Police said they would be issuing a fine for a breach of COVID-19 restrictions to a man accused of spitting at Hayne’s victim.

Police are still investigating the involvement of others.

The lodging of the notice of intention to appeal means Hayne has 12 months to file his formal appeal.