'Keep your mouth shut': Disturbing claims in Jack de Belin rape trial
NRL star Jack de Belin repeatedly raped a tearful teenager before asking his victim why she was “being so emotional”, a jury has heard.
“It wasn't bad, it was good,” the 29-year-old allegedly told the woman as she cried in the bathroom of a North Wollongong unit in December 2018.
BRUTAL: Club hero shown the door in Penrith Panthers axing
COWARDS: NRL under fire over 'pathetic' national anthem saga
The St George Illawarra player and friend Callan Sinclair, 23, have both pleaded not guilty to the aggravated sexual assault of the 19-year-old after meeting her in a nightclub in Wollongong.
Outlining the crown case on Tuesday, barrister David Scully said the woman went to the unit in the early hours of December 9 on the understanding the men needed to charge their phones before hitting another club.
As she used an ensuite toilet, de Belin walked in naked and started showering, the Wollongong District Court jury was told.
Mr Scully said the woman quickly left the room, saw Sinclair seated clothed on the bed and felt de Belin undoing her top.
Pushed onto the bed, the woman is expected to tell the jury she tried to cover her breasts as the men said words to the effect of “show us your tits”.
“The complainant said she wanted to go home,” Mr Scully said.
The woman is expected to tell the jury the rugby league star pulled her legs apart, placed his hand around her throat, rested his forearm on her chest and began intercourse.
Mr Scully said the woman was crying and felt “numb”.
“On the crown case, the calls to stop and attempts to resist fell on deaf ears and there came a point where she felt incapable of offering any resistance,” he said.
De Belin allegedly told Sinclair ‘come have a go’
Turning to Sinclair, de Belin said “come have a go” and made way for his co-accused.
De Belin proceed to rape the woman orally, swapping position several times with Sinclair.
When Sinclair failed in an attempt to have anal sex, he left and went to the bathroom.
While Sinclair was away, de Belin moved the woman to an ottoman and resumed penile-vaginal intercourse.
“The complainant had tears pouring down her cheeks,” Mr Scully said.
When de Belin ejaculated on her back, the woman went to the shower, continued crying and said she didn't want to have sex.
In reply, Mr Sinclair said nothing while Mr de Belin said “why are you being so emotional? It wasn't bad. It was good”, she is expected to tell the jury.
Mr Scully said the footballer told the woman “you can keep your mouth shut, can't you?” She replied “yes”.
The trio caught an Uber back into Wollongong's night district, with de Belin handing the woman $50 “for the Uber and to keep your mouth shut”.
Mr Scully said the woman told friends, family and work colleagues what had happened before making a formal police statement and agreeing to a medical examination.
The woman's DNA was later found in the unit, whose normal resident was de Belin's cousin.
Calls to and from the accused men's phones, recorded shortly after the alleged rape, are expected to be played during the weeks-long trial.
“The effect of the phone calls is that they are accepting that some sort of sexual activity occurred but they are saying it was consensual,” Mr Scully said.
De Belin and Sinclair are both charged with five counts of aggravated sexual assault, with the aggravation allegedly being that the pair acted in company.
The first count is also allegedly aggravated by de Belin causing actual bodily harm, being minor bruising to the woman's throat and chest.
Both defence cases are expected to open later on Tuesday.
The complainant is expected to be the first witness called in the crown case.
Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.
