St George Illawarra player Jack de Belin could be forced to wait another nine months as a result of a hung jury for his sexual assault trial on Monday, per Fox Sports.
Follow two days in Wollongong Local Court, the jury was discharged after it could not reach a decision on the allegations that de Belin and co-accused friend Callan Sinclair raped a 19-year-old woman.
After much deliberation, the jury remained deadlocked for their verdict and were unable to reach a decision after considering a majority decision.
Mr de Belin and Mr Sinclair will either face a retrial or the Director of Public Prosecutions could opt not to pursue the charges.
The pair face a potentially lengthy wait for a second trial due to a COVID-19-related backlog and that the Wollongong Court would not have time for a three-week trial until August next year.
However, Judge Andrew Haesler believed waiting that long would be unreasonable and said that the accused deserved a prompt trial, even suggesting the trial could be moved to Sydney.
St George Illawarra released the following statement following the trial:
The Jack de Belin court matter did not reach a verdict as a result of a hung jury in Wollongong Local Court on Monday.
The consequential next steps concerning the matter are yet to be established.
De Belin remains subject to the NRL's no-fault stand down policy.
The Dragons will continue to provide the necessary welfare support to de Belin and his family.
The club will make no further comment at this stage.
After everything that has come out of the trial, the Dragons should wipe their hands of this pig. They have held a roster spot open for him since 2019, and they are putting themselves at a disadvantage if they do it again in 2021. The club and the team don’t need the baggage that this goose will be carrying around. Sign someone else!!!
Guilt in them beady eyes.