Former NRL star Jarryd Hayne appears to be putting his prison stint behind him as a photo emerged on social media of his reintroduction to society.
Hayne was released from Cooma Correctional Centre on February 16, his 34th birthday, after a NSW appeal court overturned his sexual assault convictions and ordered a third trial.
For now, Hayne appears to be putting the saga behind him. In an Instagram post from Sydney fitness trainer Jazza Roberts, Hayne is seen holding one of Mr Roberts’s sons and beaming.
Mr Roberts has his arm around Hayne in the photo. ‘Too much ages. Welcome Home and Happy Birthday Lb,’ Mr Roberts posted alongside the picture.
The pictured surfaced as a joke video was uploaded to TikTok by Covid-19 prankster Jon-Bernard Kairouz where he pretended to pick up Hayne ‘fresh out of prison’.
Hayne’s bail conditions include a restriction on entering the Newcastle local government area or attempt to make contact with the 26-year-old woman who alleges Hayne sexually assaulted her in her bedroom on the night of the 2018 NRL Grand Final.
He is permitted to travel to the Central Coast to visit his family, but must otherwise reside with Ms Bonnici at her western Sydney home.
In an Instagram post from Sydney fitness trainer Jazza Roberts (left), Hayne (right) is seen holding one of Mr Roberts’s sons and beaming
Hayne pictured on his release from Cooma Correctional Centre on February 16 after a NSW appeal court overturned his sexual assault convictions and ordered a third trial
Ex-NRL players Reni Maitua, Joseph Paulo and Daniel Conn were among those to comment on Mr Roberts’s post with Hayne.
‘Welcome home bula,’ Mr Maitua commented.
Mr Conn posted clapping hands emojis.
The video reposted by Mr Kairouz is captioned ‘Exclusive: Jarred (sic) Hayne getting picked up from prison.’
Mr Kairouz, a former lower grades rugby league player, became famous on social media for accurately predicting NSW Covid cases for five days in a row on TikTok in July 2021.
A number of people commenting on the post noted that the video was not from when Hayne was released from prison.
In the video Hayne and Mr Kairouz are seen doing their own version of ‘carpool karaoke’, singing ‘Shotgun’ by George Ezra.
Hayne was released after nine months in custody at Cooma, 400km south-west of Sydney, having been sentenced in May 2021 to at least three years and eight months behind bars after he was found guilty of two charges of sexual intercourse without consent.
Hayne is seen reporting to Merrylands police station in Sydney’s west as part of his bail conditions after being released from Cooma Correctional Centre on February 16
It’s unclear as yet whether the NSW Department of Public Prosecutions will try and make Hayne face a third trial.
A jury in Hayne’s first trial could not reach a verdict, but in March 2021 during his second trial, the jury found beyond reasonable doubt Hayne had sexually assaulted the woman.
She allegedly suffered injuries during a sexual encounter and required medical treatment.
Amellia Bonnici, the mother of Hayne’s children and his wife, stood by him despite the rape conviction
Hayne (right) and Ms Bonnici leave the Downing Centre District Court in March 2021 during his second trial on the sexual assault allegations
The 26-year-old woman said she and Hayne were having consensual sex but she ‘withdrew her consent’.
In text to a friend after the incident, the victim described how she stopped wanting to have sex with Hayne after learning he had a taxi waiting outside to take him back to Sydney.
She recounted she ‘kept saying no’ and claimed she suffered injuries to her genitalia.
Further messages showed the woman confronting Hayne, saying: ‘I know I’ve talked about sex and stuff so much, but I didn’t want to do that after knowing the taxi was waiting for you’.
‘I thought you would have at least stayed? I m hurting really badly. I told my Mum you got a nose bleed, but I’m sitting here in my room crying ’cause I feel weird.’
Hayne replied: ‘Go doctor tomorrow’.
He was one of the biggest stars in rugby league after a stellar career with the Parramatta Eels and NSW Blues.
But a decision in 2014 to chase a dream by trialling with the San Francisco 49ers in America’s National Football League was unsuccessful.
Though he returned to the NRL in stints with the Gold Coast Titans and the Eels, Hayne was never the same player and retired from the game in 2018.
