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NRL player Jack de Belin told family he was “rattled” by a teenager’s rape accusation and denied the woman had ever said “no” or “stop”, a jury has heard. A series of taped phone calls made in the days after an alleged sexual assault of a then 19-year-old woman by the St George Dragons footballer and his friend Callan Sinclair were played during the Wollongong District Court trial on Wednesday. “I’m rattled,” he told his sister Erica. “It’s so f***ed what she’s gone in there and said (to police).” Read more: Group of young people allegedly assaulted woman in Civic He said it was consensual sex but the woman became “weird” afterwards before returning to “normal”. “She has not at one point said ‘no’, ‘no, stop’,” he said. “The only time was at the end of it she got a little bit weird and said ‘you’ve got a girlfriend’.” De Belin, 29, and Shell Cove man Callan Sinclair, 23, have pleaded not guilty to five charges of aggravated sexual assault in a Gipps Street bedroom of a North Wollongong unit in December 2018 following a night out at Mr Crown. The jury also heard the tape of the men discussing the rape accusation over the phone and how the footballer’s legal advice was to not speak to the police. “I’d rather just tell the truth, would you?” de Belin said. “I’m not lying, we are telling the truth. It was consensual sex, she never got raped.” The men acknowledged they should not be speaking about the case, with one saying “it’s not like we’re trying to get a story straight”. Sinclair then clarified with de Belin if he recalled taking a shower before the woman took her top off. “I got nude and you start having sex with her first and I came in,” Sinclair said. “Yes,” de Belin said. One then said the “best-case scenario” was that the police “realise she’s lying”. In another call, the Dragons footballer told his cousin he was telling the truth and said the situation was “so bullshit”. A tape was also played of Sinclair’s conversation with his mother in which he says the woman “came back out with us and everything” after the alleged assault. “If you were raped by someone, you wouldn’t go out with them again, would you?” he said. “I just can’t believe it, Mum. “I’m really upset…it is so embarrassing.” Sinclair explained de Belin had been charged but police were yet to talk to him. “We’ve got nothing to hide,” he said. His mother was reassuring him throughout the phone call as they discussed engaging a lawyer. “Stay calm, keep your wits about you and don’t get angry but I know it is incredibly stressful,” she said. In a conversation with his brother, Sinclair said “Jack came in, took her pants off and just started rooting her”. “There was no verbal or physical resistance…after it all we went back out,” Sinclair said. “The only thing she was upset about afterwards was about Jack’s girlfriend, she said ‘but Jackie’s got a girlfriend’.” Jurors also heard de Belin tell his mother that the woman “pretty much made up that I raped her which is the most furthest thing from the truth” prompting his mother to reply, “yeah I trust you with that”. His mother went on to ask how de Belin’s partner Alyce Taylor was coping after hearing the allegations. “She is doing pretty well to be honest,” he said. “I have obviously made a mistake but at the same time I am not a criminal.” His mother also asked how Ms Taylor’s obstetrician appointment went that morning and de Belin said his baby was going well. The trial continues. – with Australian Associated Press
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NRL player Jack de Belin told family he was “rattled” by a teenager’s rape accusation and denied the woman had ever said “no” or “stop”, a jury has heard.
A series of taped phone calls made in the days after an alleged sexual assault of a then 19-year-old woman by the St George Dragons footballer and his friend Callan Sinclair were played during the Wollongong District Court trial on Wednesday.
“I’m rattled,” he told his sister Erica.
“It’s so f***ed what she’s gone in there and said (to police).”
He said it was consensual sex but the woman became “weird” afterwards before returning to “normal”.
“She has not at one point said ‘no’, ‘no, stop’,” he said.
“The only time was at the end of it she got a little bit weird and said ‘you’ve got a girlfriend’.”
De Belin, 29, and Shell Cove man Callan Sinclair, 23, have pleaded not guilty to five charges of aggravated sexual assault in a Gipps Street bedroom of a North Wollongong unit in December 2018 following a night out at Mr Crown.
Callan Sinclair told his mother “I just can’t believe it” after learning of sexual assault allegations made against him and co-accused Jack de Belin. Picture: Adam McLean
The jury also heard the tape of the men discussing the rape accusation over the phone and how the footballer’s legal advice was to not speak to the police.
“I’d rather just tell the truth, would you?” de Belin said.
“I’m not lying, we are telling the truth. It was consensual sex, she never got raped.”
The men acknowledged they should not be speaking about the case, with one saying “it’s not like we’re trying to get a story straight”.
Sinclair then clarified with de Belin if he recalled taking a shower before the woman took her top off.
“I got nude and you start having sex with her first and I came in,” Sinclair said.
One then said the “best-case scenario” was that the police “realise she’s lying”.
A usually stoic de Belin walked out of court smiling. Picture: Adam McLean
In another call, the Dragons footballer told his cousin he was telling the truth and said the situation was “so bullshit”.
A tape was also played of Sinclair’s conversation with his mother in which he says the woman “came back out with us and everything” after the alleged assault.
“If you were raped by someone, you wouldn’t go out with them again, would you?” he said.
“I just can’t believe it, Mum.
“I’m really upset…it is so embarrassing.”
Sinclair explained de Belin had been charged but police were yet to talk to him.
“We’ve got nothing to hide,” he said.
His mother was reassuring him throughout the phone call as they discussed engaging a lawyer.
“Stay calm, keep your wits about you and don’t get angry but I know it is incredibly stressful,” she said.
In a conversation with his brother, Sinclair said “Jack came in, took her pants off and just started rooting her”.
“There was no verbal or physical resistance…after it all we went back out,” Sinclair said.
“The only thing she was upset about afterwards was about Jack’s girlfriend, she said ‘but Jackie’s got a girlfriend’.”
Jurors also heard de Belin tell his mother that the woman “pretty much made up that I raped her which is the most furthest thing from the truth” prompting his mother to reply, “yeah I trust you with that”.
His mother went on to ask how de Belin’s partner Alyce Taylor was coping after hearing the allegations.
“She is doing pretty well to be honest,” he said.
“I have obviously made a mistake but at the same time I am not a criminal.”
His mother also asked how Ms Taylor’s obstetrician appointment went that morning and de Belin said his baby was going well.
– with Australian Associated Press
