Update
St George Illawarra Dragons player Jack De Belin has had his bail conditions relaxed on account of his celebrity footballer status, as details of his alleged rape of a woman inside a Wollongong apartment block have been aired for the first time in court.
Read the full story here.
Earlier: St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league player Jack De Belin and Shellharbour Sharks player Callan Sinclair have fronted Wollongong court accused of raping a woman inside a Wollongong unit in December.
Both De Belin, 27, and Sinclair, 21, entered a plea of not guilty a short time ago.
A magistrate agreed to remove De Belin’s reporting conditions saying he was “too high profile” to be considered a flight risk. De Belin was previously required to report to police three times a week.
Police opposed the change in reporting conditions saying it was a reasonable condition of bail given the seriousness of the matter.
The duo were charged with aggravated sexual assault in December.
The incident that prompted the charges is alleged to have taken place about 1.30am – just hours after De Belin and Sinclair were pictured together with friends on Instagram dressed in Christmas attire for the region’s annual Santa Pub Crawl.
The Mercury understands police will allege the woman met De Belin and Sinclair at an establishment on Crown Street, before the trio allegedly left in a cab and drove to an apartment block.
There, it is alleged the two men told the woman they needed to get changed. It is understood the woman claims she went upstairs in the apartment and used the bathroom.
It is alleged she was sexually assaulted when she returned from the bathroom to find the two players naked.
She later sought medical treatment at a hospital in Wollongong.
The matter was adjourned to April 17.
More to come
