A woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by former NRL star Jarryd Hayne sent him text messages after the incident saying she “didn’t want to do that” and “it hurt so bad” as she “sat in her bedroom crying”, said a court. she has heard.
The former soccer legend, 35, faces trial in the New South Wales District Court after he denied sexually assaulting the woman at his home in Fletcher, on the outskirts of Newcastle, in September 2018, the night of the NRL grand final.
He has persistently maintained his innocence, alleging that he engaged in consensual sexual acts and has pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual intercourse without consent.
The court was told that Mr Hayne was in Newcastle on the weekend of 29 and 30 September to attend a dollar weekend, while the couple were trying to arrange a meeting.
Crown prosecutor John Sfinas delivered his opening remarks to the jury on Monday afternoon, telling the court that Hayne is accused of removing the woman’s trousers before allegedly performing oral and digital sexual acts on her without her consent. consent, causing cuts and considerable bleeding.
Jarryd Hayne is on trial for alleged sexual assault, but denies all charges
After attending a two-day party for a former Fijian Test teammate, Hayne paid a taxi driver $550 to drive him back to his home in Sydney, stopping at the woman’s house on the way.
Sfinas told jurors that the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claims that when she realized a taxi was waiting outside, she refused to consent to sex.
‘[The woman] she didn’t know he made an arrangement with the taxi to take him to Sydney, she didn’t know the taxi was waiting for the defendant after he said it would be a minute,” Sfinas said.
“It’s the corona case, this was a defining moment for the whistleblower.”
The jury was told that the woman thought Mr. Hayne was in her room for a reason and had “no reason to stay.”
Sfinas said the woman did not want to engage in any sexual activity under the circumstances.
The crown alleged that the couple were sitting on the woman’s bed when she tried to kiss her, where the woman said ‘no and stop’.
However, it is alleged that Mr Hayne continued to perform sexual acts on the woman, but only stopped when they realized she was bleeding from her genitals.
The jury was told that Hayne had blood on his lips and hands.
Hayne went into the bathroom to wash her hands before the woman stepped into the shower to wash off the blood and felt “swelling” and “stinging” on her genitals, the crown alleged.
Sfinas told the court that after the former Parramatta Eels fullback left her house, she sent him a text message complaining “It hurts so bad.”
He also said, “I know I’ve talked a lot about sex and stuff, but I didn’t want to do that after I found out the taxi was waiting for you.”
“I thought at least you would have stayed, I don’t know what to feel, I told my mom it was a nosebleed and I’m sitting in my room crying,” she continued.
Mr. Hayne replied: ‘Go to the doctor tomorrow.’
The court heard about two weeks before the incident that the couple began communicating via Instagram.
Sfinas told the jury that while many of the communications were sexual in nature, the woman never consented to sexual intercourse.
The court will also hear that the woman texted her friend after the incident saying that he was “rough” and “forceful.”
Hayne’s defense attorney, Margaret Cunneen SC, told the court that the act was completely consensual.
“No sexual assault ever occurred in this room in the Newcastle suburb of Fletcher in September 2018,” Ms Cunneen told the jury.
He didn’t do anything that he thought was wrong.
Ms Cunneen told the court that the woman sent Mr Hayne sexual messages before their meeting.
“I imagined what it would be like to be fucking with you when you started talking,” one of the messages allegedly read, they told the court.
Ms Cunneen said the woman “never said no, never walked away and never called out to her mother in the next room”.
A total of 14 jurors were selected from a pool of about 50 people, who were warned by Judge Graham Turnbull SC about the extensive media coverage of the matter before Monday.
The jury panel was told that Mr Hayne had gained notoriety for his sporting achievements, but the jury is not to address the matter if they “have jumped to conclusions”.
Hayne was first charged in November 2018 and has been tried twice.
The former NRL star was jailed for nine months after being found guilty in 2021, but was released on bail in February 2022 ahead of a third trial.
“Familiarity with a sport can incline one to unfounded but knee-jerk conclusions,” Judge Turnbull told the jury panel.
The jury must concentrate on the evidence, the evidence in this trial alone.
The former Parramatta Eels fullback was first charged in November 2018.
The trial continues before Judge Turnbull.