Jack de Belin, Callan Sinclair families angry lying ex-cop’s name suppressed

Parents of NRL star Jack DeBelin and his friend Callan Sinclair are disappointed a former police officer who has admitted lying under oath has been successful in having his name suppressed.

The families of NRL star Jack de Belin and his friend Callan Sinclair are disappointed a former police officer who has admitted lying under oath has been successful in having his name suppressed.

The ex-cop lied during de Belin’s sexual assault proceedings after he viewed the NRL star’s messages with his lawyer before claiming he believed they were “Dragons business”.

He will face sentencing later this year after pleading guilty to one count of giving false evidence under oath amounting to perjury.

The man can only be known as “Officer A” due to an order made by the court on Wednesday protecting his identity.

In 2021, the DPP dropped sexual assault charges against Mr de Belin and his co-accused Mr Sinclair after juries in two District Court trials failed to reach a verdict.

Both men had pleaded not guilty to all charges and consistently maintained they were innocent.

Officers attached to Professional Standards Command commenced Strike Force Ephemeris to investigate the conduct of officers involved in the Wollongong District Court case in February 2020.

The DPP dropped sexual assault charges against Jack de Belin and Callan Sinclair after two District Court juries failed to reach a verdict. Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges and consistently maintained they were innocent. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Parents of both men have long been pushing for answers about the police handling of the investigation - beyond the one officer - and say the court decision means they will never get the answers they need.

“We are relieved that five years since Officer A first perjured himself in a Wollongong court he has finally admitted it and we hope that he will be dealt with accordingly,” Mr Sinclair’s mum Gai told the Sunday Telegraph.

Mrs Sinclair said it was disappointing to see a non-publication order made for a man “that actually broke the law while our sons who did not break the law were never afforded that same courtesy”.

“They were assumed guilty from the start. They were forced to endure the unrelenting vilification and biased media attention. They showed courage and dignity over the 60 plus days as they sat in that court room.

“Officer A has not had to do that once. He even dialed in to enter his plea.”

Mrs Sinclair said investigators had told her the probe into the handling of the police investigation had been completed and no more action would be taken with regard to any other officers or behaviour.

Gai and Terry Sinclair, witrh son Callan, believes they families deserve answers after an internal police investigation into the case.

“There is no transparency, their findings have never been available to us. No one has ever even had the decency to sit down with us and explain their findings or answer our questions about the matters that we have raised on multiple occasions.

“The only reason the investigation even happened is because of our persistent applications that we have been sending since day one. All we want is answers and we feel that is a reasonable expectation.

“For six years now our families have been dealing with the carnage of these false allegations. The conduct of the Wollongong Detectives involved in this investigation was unsatisfactory from the start and impacted the entire judicial procedure.

“Now that a guilty plea has been negotiated and entered there will never be an opportunity for those other officers or the DPP to be questioned under oath about their involvement and decisions in relation to this case.

“Officer A will never have to show the strength and courage that our sons displayed throughout this ordeal that still impacts our lives on a daily basis.

Originally published as Jack de Belin, Callan Sinclair families angry lying ex-cop’s name suppressed