June 28th 2024.
After years of battling legal troubles, former National Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The 36-year-old has had the remaining sexual assault allegations against him formally withdrawn, putting an end to his legal struggles.
This news comes after an appeals court overturned his convictions for two counts of sexual assault without consent earlier this month. It was then revealed that prosecutors would not pursue a fourth trial. And today, in a final decision, the remaining charges were formally withdrawn. For the first time in years, Hayne walked out of the Sydney's Downing Centre court without the weight of these allegations on his shoulders.
Judge Craig Everson made the announcement in court, stating, "The record will reflect that the Crown has discontinued any and all proceedings against Mr Hayne." This marks a significant victory for Hayne, who was found guilty in April 2023 and sentenced to a maximum of four years and nine months in prison. The allegations stemmed from an incident on the night of the 2018 NRL grand final, where he was accused of raping a woman at her home in Newcastle.
However, the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal ruled in Hayne's favor, stating that the judge in his trial had made an error by not allowing the complainant to be further cross-examined. It was also revealed that the woman had initially shown a sexual interest in Hayne, but changed her mind and accused him after realizing he had a taxi waiting outside her house. In fact, Hayne's defense team presented evidence that the woman had deleted messages between herself and Hayne that showed her initial interest.
His legal team also argued that the woman should have been cross-examined on why she had allegedly told police, "If those messages get out, I'm f---ed and he will get off." However, Judge Graham Turnbull, who presided over Hayne's third trial, denied these requests, believing that the statement held little weight.
Hayne's convictions were overturned after a hung jury in his first trial in 2020 and a successful appeal to overturn the guilty verdict from his second trial in 2021. With the weight of these allegations finally lifted, Hayne can move forward with his life. And as he walks out of the courtroom, he can finally put this chapter behind him.
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