Jarryd Hayne

Jarryd Hayne set for third retrial after appeal

Jarryd Hayne has had his convictions overturned.

Published by
Scott Pryde

Jarryd Hayne is set for a third retrial after his convictions for sexually assaulting a woman were quashed on appeal.

It took two trials for a verdict to originally be reached on Hayne, who was found guilty of two counts sexual assault at the time.

Those convictions have now been overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal, with a judgement reached on Monday. Hayne had originally been jailed for five years and nine months, with a non-parole period of three years and eight months. He has currently been in jail for eight months of that time frame.

The original incident occurred on NRL grand final night in 2018.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald the first hearing of a retrial - for directions - will be heard in the District Court on February 18, which is this coming Friday.

The appeal from Hayne and his legal team relied on the fact that almost every direction given to the jury by the court was flawed and that inconsistencies were presented in evidence.

Other appeal grounds reportedly included that the jury verdict was unreasonable, and that it was an error to overturn a ruling from the first trial regarding the complaintant's messages with another person. It was also reported that the appeal called it an "error" to allow the jury of the second trial to view the complaintant exiting the court in an "outburst" at Hayne.

It is reported that the appeal succeeded due to jury directions and the messages to another person.

It now means Hayne will face a third trial, however, Chief Justice Tom Bathurst, Justice Helen Wilson and Justice Ian Harrison may elect to enter an acquittal of the charges against Hayne instead.

Published by
Scott Pryde