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Former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne wins appeal against rape conviction

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SYDNEY – Former Australian rugby international Jarryd Hayne’s rape conviction was overturned on appeal on Wednesday and he was released from his one-year prison sentence.

The New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal ruled that a judge had erred in not allowing the plaintiff further cross-examination during Haynes’ trial. The Sydney Court of Appeal also ruled that the trial judge had failed to properly instruct the jury on how to deal with allegations that the plaintiff had lied.

Judge Graham Turnbull, who presided over the trial, rejected requests to cross-examine the woman on the statement, saying it had “almost negligible weight”.

Hayne was released on bail without contest on Wednesday and the case is scheduled to return to state district court in late July, when prosecutors can provide an update on how they plan to proceed in a possible fourth trial in the case.

Hayne was accused of raping a woman in her home on the night of the 2018 National Rugby League final.

Hayne, 36, spent the last year in prison after a jury found him guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent in April 2023, after an earlier guilty verdict was overturned on appeal.

Hayne had a long career in the NRL between 2006 and 2018, playing primarily for Parramatta and representing Australia and Fiji at international level.

He also played briefly for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL in 2015 and unsuccessfully bid to play for Fiji in the Olympic debut of sevens rugby in 2016.

Haynes’ first trial in 2020 ended with the jury being discharged after they failed to reach a majority verdict. At the second trial in 2021, he was convicted and served nine months of a five-year, nine-month sentence before successfully appealing and being released ahead of a third trial.

AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports

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