Jarryd Hayne, Jack de Belin legal costs to top $1 million
The legal bills faced by NRL stars Jarryd Hayne and Jack de Belin, who each faced criminal trials which led to hung juries, are set to reach more than $1 million.
Police & Courts
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The combined legal bills faced by NRL stars Jack de Belin and Jarryd Hayne defending sexual assault charges are set to push past $1.3 million, according to legal insiders.
The juries in both their trials were deadlocked and then dismissed when they could not come to a unanimous verdict.
De Belin also ran a second case in the Federal Court of Australia when he unsuccessfully challenged the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy.
Hayne, 32, who has pleaded not guilty to the aggravated sexual assault of a woman in her house on Grand Final night in 2018, hired top Sydney silk Phillip Boulten SC and solicitor Penny Musgrave.
Several legal insiders estimated he would have paid in the vicinity of $200,000 to $250,000 for his case to this point.
Sources said Mr Boulten charges about $7700 to $9900 per day for his services.
“Boulten is the cheapest silk on the planet for his level of expertise,” one Sydney criminal lawyer said.
“He is one of the most respected barristers in the country and could actually charge a lot more.”
Ms Musgrave’s fees are unknown but legal insiders said about $3000 per day was a safe starting point for a trial like Hayne’s.
“Then there’s trial preparation fees that — depending on the complexity of the case — could be a week’s worth of fees for the barrister and the solicitor,” another Sydney criminal lawyer said, adding that a trial out of Sydney would add travel and accommodation fees.
Hayne’s trial stretched for 11 days before the jury was deadlocked and discharged. His case will be mentioned on Wednesday where the next stage will be discussed.
De Belin, 29, a $600,000 per year player for the St George Illawarra Dragons, is understood to have spent more than Hayne.
He lost his challenge against the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy in the Federal Court of Australia and was ordered to pay the NRL’s legal costs, which were estimated at $300,000, plus his own that were reported as being $100,000.
The trial lasted for 20 days and de Belin retained barrister David Campbell SC, who a legal insider estimated would cost around $7000 per day.
De Belin would likely be paying in the vicinity of $3000 per day for solicitors.
The estimate for a 20 day trial, plus trial preparation, mentions and pre-trial argument puts this case in the vicinity of up to $250,000.
A re-run of the trial — which is set to take place in April — could cost about $150,000.
And with the added cost of his Federal Court action, de Belin may be looking at up to $780,000.
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