Jack Debelin could be back in 17 as early as next week

[Kylez3]

Fake news.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Fake news.

Yeah looks like a troll post.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

That little shit should get banned from Twitter

 

[Old Timer]

That little shit should get banned from Twitter

Some news in JA that the trial judge has asked for "pre trial" arguments to be ongoing for the week with a trial date to be set for November.

I think it would be fair to assume that any motion to dismiss would have been heard 1st up this morning so if the rest of the week is booked in I guess there was either no motion to dismiss or if there was it was dismissed.

 

[TruSaint]

Complex pre-trial legal argument has recommenced ahead of benched St George Illawarra Dragons star Jack de Belin’s sexual assault trial.

The 29-year-old and his co-accused Callan Sinclair returned to Wollongong District Court on Monday, after a key witness fell ill in February, delaying complex legal arguments and the commencement of the estimated two-week trial.

The pair have each pleaded not guilty to five charges of aggravated sexual assault, after they were accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman at Wollongong apartment in December 2018 following a popular pub crawl.

The key witness was well enough to return to court on Monday, allowing the arguments to begin again in front of Judge Andrew Haesler.

Judge Haesler indicated he wanted the pre-trial arguments to continue for the remainder of the week so a trial date could be fixed, likely in November.

The court remained open for much of Monday’s proceedings, however, the nature of the argument cannot be revealed. Neither Sinclair or de Belin were supported by family on Monday, however were greeted by a flurry of media attention.

De Belin was first charged in 2018, and became the first player to be sidelined under the NRL’s no-fault stand down policy, which allows the game to stand aside players facing serious criminal charges.

Under the policy, de Belin has been banned from playing any games until the matter has been through the courts. If the trial did not proceed until an expected date in November, de Belin will have been sidelined for two consecutive seasons, with his Dragons contract due to expire at the end of this year.

While de Belin hasn’t been able to play for more than a year, he has still been able to train with the team and has been receiving his full $500,000+ yearly pay cheque.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...s/news-story/2dc7278607e2ed01c1f93578bc89a73f

 

[TruSaint]

Let the case play out now, and move on I say.

Respect to both parties.

Lets drop the innuendo.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Fake news.

Absolutely.
The case has to be dismissed by the judge not acquitted.

 

[Dragon David]

Absolutely.
The case has to be dismissed by the judge not acquitted.

Best to forget this matter for a while and concentrate on winning games this year. We have been without JDB for some time now so in effect we should be used to not having him play.

His destiny rests with his Legal team.

 

[muzby]

Decision in Jack de Belin's pre-trial legal argument case still weeks away: court


A decision in the pre-trial legal argument in Jack de Belin's sexual assault case is still at least six weeks away, a court has heard.



Judge Andrew Haesler set out a tentative timeline for the remainder of the pre-trial discussions in Wollongong District Court late on Thursday afternoon, suggesting a decision on the issues in dispute would not be delivered until at least mid-August.



De Belin and his co-accused, Callan Sinclair, stand accused of sexually assaulting a young woman inside a North Wollongong unit block during a night out in December 2018.



They have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.




The pair had been due to stand trial in early February however lawyers for both men raised significant legal complications in the case they said needed to be resolved before a trial could begin.



They spent the following week-and-a-half in pre-trial legal argument before a key witness in the discussions fell ill.



The case was adjourned to April but those sittings had to be abandoned due to COVID-19 and the case was rescheduled to this week.



The legal argument resumed on Monday and at the time and it was hoped the matter could be resolved by the end of the week, however protracted discussions meant by Thursday evening only Sinclair's lawyers had given their closing submissions in the pre-trial case.



Judge Haesler said it was unlikely submissions from de Belin's barrister and the Crown prosecutor would finish by Friday afternoon, and set aside more court time on July 31.



He then indicated it would take him "a couple of weeks" to review all the material, make a decision and prepare a written judgement.



Details of what has been discussed in the pre-trial legal argument cannot be published for significant legal reasons.



The court has pencilled in the duo's joint trial for three weeks in November.



De Belin and Sinclair, who have been in court for each day of the proceedings, remain on conditional bail.

https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...argument-case-still-weeks-away-court/?cs=7477

 

[Old Timer]

Well the article gives some clarity from a legal perspective to where this goes to from here.

Can’t wait for the mindless RL reporters to put their spin on it when the news cycle slows down.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Well the article gives some clarity from a legal perspective to where this goes to from here.

Can’t wait for the mindless RL reporters to put their spin on it when the news cycle slows down.

Obviously they won’t be able to go into specifics but at least we have some idea of a timeline. I’m no legal expert but surely that fact they are even considering the arguments means there is at least a small chance he’ll be back. In a way I almost would have preferred they just set a trial date so we can move on and bring some players into the squad that can actually play.

 

[YoHadrian]

I wonder who is paying for all of his lawyers. This protracted legal wrangling doesn't come cheap.

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

I wonder who is paying for all of his lawyers. This protracted legal wrangling doesn't come cheap.

I actually feel sorry for the other bloke he’s not on 700k unless it’s true in which case throw away the key.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Looks like Jack will be out for this season as well. The coach and the board will ride on this to save the backsides again and when it comes to next season before it starts say how they learnt how to deal with JDB and blah, blah blah. And they say history never repeats....

 

[Willow]

He'll be off contract by November.

 

[Dragonslayer]

I thought the trial date was set for December, and now 'pencilled in' for November. I find that interesting.

 

[TonyT6]

I wonder who is paying for all of his lawyers. This protracted legal wrangling doesn't come cheap.

I believe Jack is, he might have to play until he is 60 to pay the legal bill

 

[SAP58]

I believe Jack is, he might have to play until he is 60 to pay the legal bill

So all the money the Dragons have been paying him has gone straight to the lawyers, seems fair.....NOT ! However Jack should not have put himself in that position.

 

[TruSaint]

So all the money the Dragons have been paying him has gone straight to the lawyers, seems fair.....NOT ! However Jack should not have put himself in that position.

Or, Jack should consider himself fortunate to earn a living that can afford him top counsel.

Imagine being on minimum wage, and trying to defend such charges.

 

[SAP58]

Or, Jack should consider himself fortunate to earn a living that can afford him top counsel.

Imagine being on minimum wage, and trying to defend such charges.

True, wouldn’t happen, I suppose the same way Callan Sinclair is funding his defence. What a mess ! It looks like we now move onto November.