Sexual assault charges against NRL player Jack de Belin dropped

Sports Editor

Wed, 26 May 2021, 11:34 pm·2-min read

Jack de Belin, pictured here at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney. — Jack de Belin at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney. (AAP Image/Dave Gray)

Sexual assault charges against NRL player Jack de Belin are set to be dropped after the Department of Public Prosecutions decided not to push ahead with a third trial.

Ahead of a case mention on Friday, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution advised lawyers for De Belin and co-accused Callan Sinclair that the charges will be withdrawn.

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De Belin and Sinclair had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a then-19-year-old woman in a North Wollongong unit in December 2018, saying they had a consensual threesome.

After a week of deliberations in the men's second trial earlier in May, the Sydney District Court jury acquitted the men of one charge related to an allegation of anal rape.

But it was unable to return unanimous or 11-to-1 verdicts on the other four charges against each accused - the second time a jury was discharged in the case.

Jack de Belin set to resume career with Dragons

De Belin has been sidelined for more than two years under the NRL's no-fault stand down policy.

The Dragons have previously re-signed De Belin on the proviso that he was found not guilty or charges were dropped.

Questions remain over whether he will be able to return to his best if he is eventually able to return, with his last game for the Dragons in September of 2018.

Since then, the former NSW State of Origin lock has spent time training with the Dragons squad, but this year moved to the part-time group.

Jack de Belin, pictured here in action for the Dragons in 2018. — Jack de Belin in action for the Dragons in 2018. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

The 30-year-old signed a new four-year deal with Dragons at the end of 2020 when his previous contract expired, after also fielding interest from the Warriors.

Part of the terms of the upgraded contact mean while de Belin was unavailable to play the big-money component was not activated, and he has instead been paid about $1000 per week.

According to reports, the Dragons want De Belin to play NSW Cup as soon as this weekend ahead of a potential return to NRL level from next week.

with AAP

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