The Snitch: Jarryd Hayne’s eye-watering legal fees over three trials

Ex NRL star Jarryd Hayne spent up big in a bid to clear his name over three sexual assault trials.

It’s been a bad week for ex NRL star Jarryd Hayne, but let’s talk about just how bad.

By our speculative calculations, Hayne’s decision to take a cab to the home of the woman he was convicted of raping on Grand Final night in 2018 – instead of heading straight back to Sydney – could end up costing him north of $3 million.

Let’s unpack our arithmetic.

Hayne has just stood trial for a third time and this week was found guilty by a jury of raping the woman at her home just outside of Newcastle.

His first trial ended up in a hung jury. Then he was convicted on a second run only to get a retrial after winning the appeal.

Jarryd Hayne his wife Amellia Bonnici leaving the District Court in Sydney. Picture: Jonathan Ng

By any measure, that’s a lot of hours clocked up by lawyers working for Hayne.

While Snitch doesn’t know the exact costs agreements Hayne had with his lawyers, we have been schooled on the topic by informed sources to give us a decent rough guide.

Hayne and his Defence Barrister Margaret Cunneen SC during the trial. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Hayne had some of the state’s best lawyers working for him, including four silks, junior counsel and multiple solicitors.

And we’re not saying Hayne has been overcharged by any of them, there‘s no doubt many late nights would be required to get the job done.

He has just had the highly irregular situation where he has been forced to stand trial three times, coupled with an appeal.

So his costs are tripled compared to someone who stands trial just the one time.

It’s highly skilled work and doesn’t come cheap.

So let’s say that for three trials, which lasted about two weeks each, plus preparation time his lawyers charged him for, would result in him paying between $200,000 and $300,000 a go.

Now we’re up to $900,000.

Then the first appeal was done by the state’s foremost appeals specialist Tim Game SC plus a junior barrister and solicitors.

Top NSW appeals specialist Tim Game SC.

So let’s say north of another $200,000.

That’s about $1 million so far.

As the court cases played out, reports emerged that the St George Illawarra Dragons pulled a $500,000 offer they had on the table for Hayne.

And if the Dragons pulled out, Hayne was still good enough to get a similar contract with another team.

So that cost him another half-a-million clams, taking the tally up to about $1.5 million.

After he was convicted this week, Hayne said he will appeal again.

So let’s say another $200,000, taking it to $1.7 million.

The rape complainant is also suing Hayne in another court that can’t be revealed because of a non publication order.

But if Hayne loses that, he could be up for another $1 million in damages.

Running total: about $2.7 million.

But don’t forget about the legal costs for the case.

Hayne could be in for an estimated legal bill totalling more than 3.1 million. Picture: John Grainger

Let’s say about $200,000 for Hayne’s given the level of lawyer he will have to hire and the length the case will go for, if it goes the full distance.

And if he loses he will have to pay her legal costs too. So double it to $400,000.

That’s a total of $3.1 million.

Oh, and we forgot the $500 for the cab.

KILLER COP’S GRIPE OVER MEDIA COVERAGE

Celebrity and public profile is a fickle beast – one day you’re hot, the next you’re not.

Which brings us to disgraced former cop-turned-celebrity-speaker-turned-convicted murderer of a drug dealer Roger Rogerson.

We’re reliably informed that Rogerson was somewhat disappointed at the level of coverage he received for his recent loss in the High Court of Australia.

It wasn’t so much the tone of the coverage Rogerson was upset about (he will spend the rest of his life in jail after losing a bid to be able to appeal against his murder conviction).

Instead, the ex Darlinghurst cop was more put out by how much coverage he got when we reported on his March 17 loss where the High Court refused his application to hear his appeal

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Roger Rogerson leaves the Supreme Court in 2016 during his trial for the 2014 murder of Jamie Gao. Picture: Adam Taylor

We’re told Roger opened the paper and remarked with disappointment: “There’s only three lines in here, mate.”

It seems Rogerson still carries himself with a level of confidence and importance that when he does something (good or bad) he expects an appropriate level of coverage.

So disappointment ensued when he opened the paper to find there was no three page spread on his exploits.

In our defence, it was six paragraphs occupying the prime newspaper real estate at the bottom of page three.

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