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A judge has asked how journalists were informed that Jack de Belin’s sexual assault case would be withdrawn before a court was notified, telling lawyers that she is not pleased and noting court proceedings are not run by the media.
Prosecutors formally withdrew four sexual assault charges against Mr de Belin on Friday, a day after lawyers confirmed the case would not proceed to a third trial.
Jack de Belin leaves Downing Centre Court on May 10 after his second trial ended in a hung jury.
Credit:Steven Siewert
Mr de Belin, 30, and his friend Callan Sinclair, 24, faced two trials in the NSW District Court on five counts each of aggravated sexual assault after they were accused of assaulting a crying woman at a North Wollongong unit in the early hours of December 9, 2018.
Judge Dina Yehia was scathing of the fact the court was the last to be told. The court proceedings are not run by the media and it is a discourtesy to this court to have that decision leaked to the press before the proceedings are conducted in this court, she said. I m not pleased about the way in which this information was leaked to the press.
Jack de Belin will return via the Dragons reserve grade team this weekend.(Getty)
Outside court, de Belin s solicitor said when the allegations were first made, he foreshadowed a long journey. No one had any idea just how long a road it would be, he said.
The Dragons forward was excused from appearing. I want to know how it is that the decision ⦠seems to have come to the attention of the press, but not the court first, Judge Yehia said. Charges against Callan Sinclair were also dropped. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard I am not pleased as to how this was leaked to the press. It is a discourtesy to this court to have it leaked to the press before proceedings have taken place in this court. Judge Yehia told the court she did not have time to investigate how the leak happened. Crown Prosecutor Craig Everson told the court Director of Public Prosecutions Lloyd Babb SC did not leak the information.
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Stewart John Saunders, 44, and Jason Mark James, 29, were convicted for robbery in company in the Lismore District Court on March 19, 2021.
The court heard the pair, along with their co-accused Thomas Alfred Grover of Kingscliff, had robbed a 69-year-old man of his laptop, keys and iPhone during an incident on February 12, 2020, in a Casuarina unit.
James had organised to meet the victim at his Casuarina house after chatting for several hours on the Grindr dating app, the court heard.