Jarryd Hayne: An ex-rugby star is praised in sexual assault case

Jarryd Hayne, a former player in the Australian Rugby League, has appealed his convictions for sexual assault.

Jarryd Hayne: An ex-rugby star is praised in sexual assault case

33-year-old Mr Hayne was found guilty of assaulting a woman, 26 years old, in her New South Wales home on the night of the 2018 National Rugby League grand final.

He was sentenced to a maximum term of five years and ninety months in prison last May.

However, the court of criminal appeal in the state has overturned his convictions and ordered a new trial.

His legal team claimed that Mr Hayne was convicted because of "flawed" instructions given to the jury.

They also claimed that the evidence against him was inconsistent, and that the "outburst' from the woman in the courtroom - when she shouted "no means NO" - was prejudicial.

After his first trial ended in a hung jury, the former player was convicted at a second hearing.

The first trial in which Hayne was charged with sexual assault of a woman in her bedroom resulted in two injuries.

Mr Hayne maintained that all sexual activity was consented to and that injuries were accidental.

Judge Helen Syme stated that Mr Hayne knew the woman wasn't consenting to his sentencing in 2021. But he went ahead anyway.

Hayne was a prominent athlete in the sport and his case came amid a growing debate about rape here in Australia.