De Belin, Sinclair trial: NRL player cries as sister speaks to court

NRL player Jack de Belin cried in court on Friday as his sister gave character evidence at his rape trial.

NRL player Jack de Belin has shed tears in court when his sister told his rape trial he’s compassionate, empathetic and has “exceeded expectations” as a father.

Erica de Belin gave character evidence for her brother who, along with co-accused Callan Sinclair, has been charged with sexually assaulting the woman in a Wollongong unit in 2018. Both men have pleaded not guilty, saying group sex with the woman was consensual.

NRL player Jack De Belin arrives at court on Friday. Picture: Simon Bullard

NRL player Jack De Belin arrives at court on Friday. Picture: Simon Bullard

Ms de Belin told the Wollongong District court her brother was “an incredibly empathetic and spiritual person” when she was questioned via video link from the UK on Friday morning.

“I think anybody who has spent any time with Jack knows what a good person he is,” Ms de Belin said.

“He is incredibly caring, compassionate and empathetic ... but he’s also a spiritual person. He’s a bit of a walking enigma, he’s a 100kg rugby league player but he enjoys yoga, he meditates, he practices daily gratitude,” she said.

Ms de Belin told the court they had a “wonderful childhood”.

“Our parents have always instilled strong values and morals within us,” she said.

Mr de Belin began to cry as she talked about watching him become a father.

“He’s just exceeded any expectation I had of how he would be as a father,” she said.

“And seeing his relationship with his daughter has just made me so proud of him.”

De Belin’s daughter was born in 2019 to his partner who was pregnant at the time he and Sinclair allegedly raped the woman.

Callan Sinclair outside Wollongong Courthouse on Friday. Picture: Simon Bullard.

Former St George Illawarra Football Club chief executive officer Brian Johnston told the court de Belin was a ”natural leader” who had no prior misdemeanours within the club.

“He’s one of the role models within our organisation ... I trust him implicitly,” Mr Johnston said.

Sinclair gave evidence for the first time on Friday. Under cross-examination, Crown Prosecutor David Scully SC asked if the trio had talked about group sex that night.

“Did you at any time before going to the unit discuss the topic of a threesome between you and (the woman) and Mr de Belin?” Mr Scully asked.

“I can’t recall,” Sinclair responded.

Sinclair said he had a “pash” with the woman at the Mr Crown nightclub before de Belin came up to him and proposed a threesome, saying “Me, you and (her) are you keen?”

Former St George Dragons NRL CEO Brian Johnson outside Wollongong Courthouse on Friday. Picture: Simon Bullard.

He said he couldn’t recall asking if the woman was “up for it” and said he assumed de Belin had spoken to her.

Mr Sinclair said he felt “shocked and confused and panicked” when he heard rumours the next day the woman had been raped.

In a message he sent her via a friend’s Facebook account, he said: “Everything was consensual, it was a good night and I am not sure why these rumours have come out.”

Sinclair admitted to the court he “made a mistake” when he told his family when he first saw the woman the night of the alleged rape.

Sinclair told his parents and brother he first saw the woman at the North Gong Hotel that night. “She was with us at North Gong dancing ... she was hanging around us like a bad smell ... flirting all that kinda shit,” Sinclair told his father.

But de Belin told the court on Thursday he first saw the woman that night when she hugged him at a separate bar, Mr Crown. On Friday, Sinclair said it was “not correct” to say he saw the woman at the North Gong Hotel.

“It was a mistake ... it was a mix up ... she obviously wasn’t there,” Sinclair said

On Monday a character witness will give evidence for Sinclair as the trial continues.