Moment of truth for Jack de Belin as NRL star enters the final day of his rape trial – after jury heard emotional testimony from his devastated sister
- Final addresses will begin in the retrial of Jack de Belin and friend Callan Sinclair
- They have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of aggravated sexual assault
- The men say all acts inside a North Wollongong unit in 2018 were consensual
- Crown prosecutor David Scully is set to begin his closing address on Thursday
- The jury on Wednesday heard character evidence from de Belin’s sister
Final addresses are due to begin in the retrial of NRL footballer Jack de Belin and friend Callan Sinclair.
The St George Illawarra forward, 30, and Sinclair, 23, have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of aggravated sexual assault against a woman in December 2018.
The men say all acts inside the bedroom of a North Wollongong unit were consensual but the woman says she was crying after the men ignored her call to stop
Crown prosecutor David Scully is expected to begin his closing address on Thursday, followed by barristers for each of the accused men.
Final addresses are due to begin in the retrial of St George Illawarra forward Jack de Belin (pictured) and friend Callan Sinclair
de Belin and Sinclair (pictured), 23, have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of aggravated sexual assault against a woman in December 2018
Judge Nicole Noman told the Sydney District Court jury on Wednesday afternoon she expected to begin giving them legal directions on Friday.
Deliberations will most likely begin on Monday, she said.
The jury, sitting after an earlier trial could not be concluded, on Wednesday heard character evidence from de Belin’s sister and former St George Illawarra chief executive Brian Johnston.
‘Jack is an incredibly down-to-earth and genuine and honest person,’ Erica de Belin said of her younger brother.
‘We have always been raised with really strong values and morals – honesty has always been of huge importance.’
Mr Johnston said the footballer was stood down after being charged but had continued training and assisting with the development of young players.
‘He’s been a model player for our club,’ Mr Johnston said.
Sinclair was described as ‘quite cautious’ and caring by his aunty, who was shocked by the rape allegations.
‘It’s just not something I think Callan is capable of,’ Lesa Rowlands told the court on Wednesday.
The accused men testified to feeling sick when they learnt the then-teenager was describing their ‘threesome’ as a rape.
De Belin denied ever telling the woman to ‘keep your mouth shut’ about the incident.
The jury on Wednesday heard character evidence from de Belin’s sister and former St George Illawarra chief executive Brian Johnston
De Belin denied ever telling the woman to ‘keep your mouth shut’ about the incident
She had raised the fact of him having a girlfriend but he told her words to the effect of ‘don’t stress it, babe, we’re on the rocks anyway, it’s complicated’ before they all left the unit, he testified.
Sinclair said the woman was ‘just normal and just enjoying as we were’.
The Crown alleges the woman took a taxi with the men to the unit under the misapprehension they were all headed to another bar.
Despite her protests inside the unit, de Belin was ‘determined’ to have sex with the woman and ‘was not going to take no for an answer’, Mr Scully has said.
De Belin’s barrister David Campbell says the woman’s evidence has a credibility issue.
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