A woman has told a court she just wanted to dance and have fun on the night she was allegedly raped by footballers Jack de Belin and Callan Sinclair, and “didn’t ask for anything to happen”.
Mr de Belin and Mr Sinclair are on trial in the NSW District Court on five counts each of aggravated sexual assault after they allegedly assaulted the 19-year-old at a North Wollongong unit in the early hours of December 9, 2018, after meeting her at a nightclub during a Santa pub crawl.
Jack de Belin outside court on Monday.Credit:Edwina Pickles
Both have pleaded not guilty and maintain the encounter was consensual. It is the second trial they have faced, after the first trial was unable to conclude.
On Monday, the court finished replaying the woman’s evidence from the first trial and she was recalled to be asked about two fresh pieces of evidence – police documents and a statement from a male acquaintance who was at the Mr Crown nightclub that evening.
Mr Sinclair’s barrister Sharyn Hall suggested the woman approached the acquaintance on the evening of December 8 and said “have you guys seen that Jack de Belin is here”, followed by “he’s so hot”.
Callan Sinclair arrives at court on Monday.Credit:Edwina Pickles
The woman responded that the night in question was more than two years ago, and “I don’t remember any of this conversation, so no”.
“That’s what you thought about Jack de Belin on that night, didn’t you?” Ms Hall said.
“Definitely not,” the woman said.
“You said to [the acquaintance], talking about Mr de Belin, ‘I wanna get with him’,” Ms Hall said.
“No,” the woman said. “I was a 19-year-old girl just wanting to have a good night out, dance around. I was allowed to do that. I didn’t ask for anything to happen that night … I never met Jack de Belin until that night, I highly doubt I would have said any of those comments.”
“You said those things to [the acquaintance] because you had a sexual interest in Jack de Belin that night,” Ms Hall said.
“I don’t remember this conversation,” the woman said. “In my home town, in Wollongong, everyone talks and makes up rumours. I do not believe what anyone has said from these conversations. I don’t remember it and it didn’t happen.”
Ms Hall asked if the acquaintance messaged the woman on Snapchat in the days after the Santa pub crawl and asked her “was that about you that’s on the news with Jack”, to which she replied “no comment”.
“I don’t remember, it was over two years ago,” the woman said. “I got a whole new Snapchat, I deleted all my social media.”
Ms Hall also asked the woman about what she said in her initial complaint to police later that day, including whether there had been a “struggle” during the alleged assault.
The woman said she said “stop” multiple times.
“At any time in that bedroom, did you lash out with your arms?” Ms Hall said.
“My arms lashed out and grabbed the sheet when they grabbed my legs to pull my pants off,” the woman said.
“Did you lash out with your legs?” Ms Hall said.
“No I did not, I laid there dead because I was so numb inside,” the woman said. “I was crying the whole time.”
The trial continues.
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