Woman accusing NRL star Jarryd Hayne of sexual assault refers to ‘awkward’ Ed Sheeran singing

Jarryd Hayne’s “awkward” singing of Ed Sheeran songs while a taxi waited outside a house made the possibility of sex completely “evaporate” for a woman who claims the former NRL star sexually assaulted her, he told a court.

The former soccer player, 35, faces trial in the New South Wales District Court after he pleaded not guilty to two counts of non-consensual sex.

He denies sexually assaulting the woman at his home in Fletcher, on the outskirts of Newcastle, in September 2018, the night of the NRL grand final.

Jury were told on Monday that Hayne was in Newcastle the weekend of September 29 and 30 to attend a dollar weekend, while the couple tried to arrange a meeting.

Prosecutor John Sfinas told the jury that Hayne paid a taxi driver $550 to take him from Newcastle to Sydney, stopping at the woman’s house on the way.

He told the cab that he needed to pick up a bag and that he would “be back in a minute.”

While inside the home, Mr. Hayne is accused of removing the woman’s pants before allegedly performing oral and digital sexual acts on her without her consent, causing cuts and considerable bleeding.

Sfinas told the jury that while the communications between the couple were sexual in nature, the woman never consented to sexual intercourse.

Jury was told the woman sat on the bed, while Hayne lay down and asked for a laptop, before singing Ed Sheeran’s version of Oasis’ Wonderwall.

Sfinas said Hayne started singing because she felt “discomfort” in the room.

“(The woman) found all the singing along with the songs quite uncomfortable,” Sfinas said.

The jury was told that the woman heard the taxi honk outside, in an attempt to alert Mr Hayne.

When she realized that there was a taxi waiting outside, it is the corona case that the woman refused to give her consent because she did not know about the car.

Sfinas said this was a defining moment that “changed” his way of thinking.

“(The woman) was unaware that he made an agreement with the taxi to take him to Sydney, she was unaware that the taxi was waiting for the defendant after he said it would be a minute,” Sfinas said.

“It is the case of the Crown that the taxi and some discomfort that the complainant felt between the two made that possibility for the complainant evaporate.”

The jury was told that the woman thought that Mr. Hayne was in her room for a reason and had “no reason to stay” afterwards, and that she 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’.

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 was told that the couple had never met but began talking two weeks earlier via Instagram.

Defense lawyer Margaret Cunneen SC 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.

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.”

The former Parramatta Eels fullback was first charged in November 2018.

The trial continues before Judge Turnbull.