The families of NRL star Jack de Belin and his friend Callan Sinclair are furious a former police officer who has admitted lying under oath has successfully had his name suppressed.
‘Office A’ admitted giving false evidence after taking the stand during the St George Illawarra player’s explosive rape trial in Wollongong District Court in 2020.
The former detective senior constable gave evidence in de Belin’s prosecution after investigating allegations that the NRL star and fellow footballer Callan Sinclair had raped a 19-year-old Wollongong woman in 2018.
Officer A, who on Wednesday was granted an order to protect his identity, has admitted lying about viewing de Belin’s messages with his lawyer.
De Belin and Sinclair’s first trial in Wollongong trial ended in a hung jury in November 2020.
At a second trial in Sydney a jury found the Dragons forward and Sinclair not guilty in May 2021 of one count of sexual assault against the woman.
The jury could not reach a verdict on the remaining four charges, leading the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions to not proceed with a third trial.
Both men had pleaded not guilty to all charges and always maintained their innocence.
The families of NRL player Jak de Belin (pictured) and his friend Callan Sinclair are furious a former police officer who is due to be sentenced for lying under oath has successfully had his name suppressed
The family of fellow footballer Callan Sinclair (pictured) have called for the findings of an investigation into how police handled the rape probe to be published.
Subsequently, officers attached to the NSW Police Force’s professional standards command commenced an investigation into the conduct of officers involved in the court case under Strike Force Ephemeris.
It resulted in Officer A being charged with giving false evidence under oath amounting to perjury.
His lawyer entered a guilty plea on his behalf last Wednesday and he will face sentencing later this year.
But Mr de Belin and Mr Sinclair’s families are disappointed he has had his identity suppressed.
‘We are relieved that five years since Officer A first perjured himself in a Wollongong court he has finally admitted it and we hope that he will be dealt with accordingly,’ Mr Sinclair’s mum Gai told the Sunday Telegraph.
Mrs Sinclair said it was disappointing to see Officer A, who has admitted breaking the law, given anonymity while ‘our sons who did not break the law were never afforded that same courtesy’.
‘They were assumed guilty from the start,’ she said.
‘They were forced to endure the unrelenting vilification and biased media attention. They showed courage and dignity over the 60 plus days as they sat in that courtroom.
Mr de Belin’s family previously voiced their support for the prosecution of Officer A (pictured: Mr de Belin with his wife Alyce Taylor)
‘Officer A has not had to do that once. He even dialed in to enter his plea.’
Ms Sinclair called for the findings of an investigation into how police handled the rape probe to be published.
‘For six years now our families have been dealing with the carnage of these false allegations,’ she added.
‘The conduct of the Wollongong Detectives involved in this investigation was unsatisfactory from the start and impacted the entire judicial procedure.’
Mr de Belin’s family previously voiced their support for the prosecution of Officer A.
‘We are of course disappointed and upset about the three years that were taken from Jack and our family throughout the process,’ wrote mother Cathy, father David and sister Erica de Belin in a letter to Nine Newspapers last year.
‘It was an incredibly upsetting and stressful time for us, but we are a very close family and we got through it together.
‘We are so proud of Jack. He has a beautiful wife and children, for which he is incredibly grateful.’
De Belin was stood down by the NRL in February 2019, two months after he was first charged, until the outcome of the court cases and missed two full NRL seasons.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .