Jury finds NRL star Jack de Belin and friend Callan Sinclair not guilty on one charge

The jury in Jack de Belin’s trial has found him and his co-accused not guilty on one count, but was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining charges.

NRL star Jack de Belin faces the prospect of a third trial over the alleged rape of a young woman after a jury cleared him of one charge, but was unable to reach of a verdict on the others.

St George Illawarra Dragons forward Mr de Belin, and his friend Callan Sinclair, had each pleaded not guilty to five counts of aggravated sexual assault stemming from an incident inside a North Wollongong unit on December 9, 2018.

On Monday they were both found not guilty on one count of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent relating to a specific sexual act on the night.

But the jury of eight men and four women were ultimately dismissed after declaring they could not agree – unanimously or with a majority of 11 out of 12 jurors – on five other counts before the court.

“We can confirm that after further deliberation each juror remains steadfast in their decisions,” a note sent to the court read.

“As such, we are unable to reach a majority verdicts of 11 to one.”

Following the decision, the former State of Origin lock stared past camera crews waiting outside court as he strode away without comment.

Mr Sinclair followed minutes later surrounded by family and also declined to speak to reporters.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR DE BELIN?

It is the second time a jury has been unable to come to a verdict in a trial for the pair in less than six months.

They faced their first trial in November last year but the jury was unable to come to a decision on any of the charges and was discharged.

This latest trial began on April 14 and ran for two-and-a-half weeks.

NRL star Jack de Belin pleaded not guilty to sexual assault. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Christian Gilles

The men must now wait for their case to return to court on May 28 when the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is likely to reveal whether it plans to proceed to a third trial.

This means Mr de Belin’s professional rugby league career is in limbo, having not played since the end of the 2018 season.

The Dragons released a statement on Monday saying the former State of Origin lock was still the subject to the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy.

“The next steps concerning all facets of matter are yet to be established,” the statement read.

“The Dragons will continue to provide the necessary welfare support to de Belin and his family.

“As this remains a legal matter, the club will make no further comment at this time.”

Mr de Belin was cleared of the allegation he penetrated the woman’s anus without her consent during the alleged sexual assault.

During the trial before the Downing Centre District Court, the football star told the court the act was accidental and came during consensual vaginal sex with the woman against a desk.

Mr Sinclair was also charged with this offence, despite the court hearing he was showering in a different room when it happened.

During the trial, the court heard the men and the woman met on the dancefloor of popular Wollongong nightclub Mr Crown during the annual Santa pub crawl late on December 8, 2018.

They then returned to a Gipps Street apartment rented by Mr de Belin’s cousin, who was out of town.

Callan Sinclair said he was shocked by the allegations. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

The woman claimed she left with them believing they were headed to nearby Fever nightclub but Mr de Belin directed them to the unit via a tuktuk telling her the men needed to “charge our phones”.

Once in an upstairs bedroom she alleged Mr de Belin came up behind her, removed her top and pushed her onto the bed.

She claimed he pulled off her pants and pinned her down before beginning sex despite her pleas of “no” and “stop”, claiming she was crying and felt “dead inside”. She claimed Mr de Belin choked her so hard during the assault she thought she would pass out.

The court heard Mr Sinclair removed his clothes and joined in swapping positions with Mr de Belin between having oral and vaginal sex with the woman.

Crown prosecutor David Scully told the jury the men had “hoped and expected” to have a threesome with her after meeting at the club but didn’t “let her in” on the plan.

When she resisted, Mr Scully told the court, Mr de Belin “wouldn’t take no for an answer” and Mr Sinclair made the “wrong choice” to join him in the alleged rape.

But both men told the jury in prerecorded evidence from the previous trial that the sex was completely consensual and they felt “sick” when they first learnt of the allegations against them.

Both men have been excused from appearing when their cases return to court on May 28.