Sitting in a police station, a woman received a message from one of her alleged rapists addressing "rumours" about what had been "a good night", a jury has heard.
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Callan Sinclair, 23, is being tried alongside NRL footballer, and former Cootamundra junior, Jack de Belin on multiple charges of aggravated sexual assault over an encounter with a woman in the early hours of December 9, 2018. Both men say all acts inside the North Wollongong unit were consensual.
In recorded evidence played to the Sydney District Court yesterday, the woman said she made several complaints about the incident on her way home and at work.
Accompanied to the police station by a workmate, the then-19-year-old received a message from a person she understood to be Mr Sinclair.
"Hey it's Cal, I've heard some serious allegations about what happened last night," the message, sent via a third man's account, said.
"It's concerning because there are serious repercussions. Everything was consensual. It was a good night and I'm not sure why these rumours have come out."
The woman told the court she didn't reply because she was at the police station.
The Sydney jury is hearing the evidence after a previous trial did not conclude. They also heard the woman allege Mr de Belin forced himself on her in a bedroom of the unit, ignoring her plea for him to "stop". The St George Illawarra forward undressed her, split her legs apart and put his hand around her neck before raping her, she said.
"No one was listening to me, so I had tears coming out of my eyes instead."
After Mr de Belin invited Sinclair to become involved, the footballer moved his groin towards her head and cheered on his mate. The woman went "dead inside" and "just let it happen", forming the view she "couldn't fight back".
Afterwards, the footballer told the woman to "keep your mouth shut", she said.
The trio had met on a dancefloor in Wollongong before catching a bike taxi to the unit. The woman says she was under the impression they were travelling to a nearby nightclub. The Crown alleges, having got the woman to the unit, Mr de Belin was "determined" to have sex with her and "was not going to take no for an answer". The footballer's lawyer says the complainant's evidence has a "fundamental issue of credibility".
Each of the men, who have pleaded not guilty to all charges, had "forcefully, emphatically, repeatedly and consistently" denied anything untoward had happened in the unit, David Campbell SC said.
Mr Sinclair faces five charges of aggravated sexual assault, where the aggravation is being in Mr de Belin's company.
Mr De Belin faces four identical charges while a fifth charge - aggravated sexual assault in company - alleges he was with Mr Sinclair during the first offence and also intentionally or recklessly inflicted actual bodily harm.
