Jarryd Hayne Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Rape
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The fall from grace of former NRL star Jarryd Hayne has been remarkable, with the 35-year-old spending another three years in prison after being found guilty of rape. On the evening of September 30, 2018, Hayne had no idea that the 46-minute encounter would lead to him being separated from his family and locked away in a 3m by 4m cell.
Hayne had enjoyed a successful first-grade career with the Parramatta Eels, representing NSW in State of Origin 23 times and Australia and Fiji in test matches. He was also a Dally M winner and his popularity peaked in 2014 when he left the NRL and signed on for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL.
However, Hayne’s life changed forever when he drunkenly approached the front door of a Fletcher house on the night of the NRL grand final in 2018. When he emerged 46 minutes later, Hayne had left a young woman in her room with blood on her bedspread and painful injuries.
The young woman brought a civil case against Hayne in 2017 as there wasn’t enough evidence for criminal charges to be laid, and Hayne settled for almost $100,000 in 2019. After a trial by jury, Hayne was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault without consent and sentenced to three years in prison.
Now, Hayne is a prisoner 661736 and is spending his days isolated in a small cell, with only 25 minutes of outside time allowed to walk around and read his Bible. Hayne is expected to return to Cooma Correctional Centre, a medium and minimum security facility 400km southwest of Sydney that houses high-profile criminals.
During his nine months behind bars, Hayne learnt how to use a sewing machine and was put to work in the prison’s textile workshop, before being moved to the laundry room. Hayne was earning A$48.96 a week to wash his fellow inmates’ sheets over 42 hours a week – a vast fall from the A$1.2 million he made playing for the Gold Coast Titans.
It is not known what Hayne may go back to in prison, but Cooma offers jobs to prisoners in textiles, food services, community projects, ground maintenance and at the jail’s museum. The money is used to buy extra food or toiletries in prison or sent back to families.
The victim said she had endured a never-ending nightmare since September 30, 2018. In a victim impact statement read to the court on Monday, the woman said she didn’t know how to “put any of this into words”.
“From the 30th of September 2018 my life has been launched into what feels like a never-ending nightmare,” she said. “Those types of things don’t just hurt, the assault was something horrible that happened to me, something I feel that was very private.”
Judge Graham Turnbull told the court Hayne is a “completely different man” to the person who committed the offences. “People are going to be left to suffer as a result of him being taken from them,” Judge Turnbull said. “He is going to be doing his time in a difficult environment.”
The full story of what occurred in those fateful 46 minutes, which completely changed the trajectory of Hayne’s career and life, can now be told. Former NRL superstar Jarryd Hayne and his wife Amelia Bonnici leaving court in January. Photo / NCA Newswire
Hayne’s sentence of three years in prison is a stark reminder of how quickly things can change. His life is now a far cry from the famous footballer who drunkenly approached the front door of a Fletcher house on the night of the NRL grand final in 2018.
The victim said she was now damaged and wouldn’t “ever be the same person”. Hayne’s fall from grace is a stark reminder of the consequences of sexual assault and the devastating impact it can have on victims.
It is a timely reminder that sexual assault is a serious crime and that those who commit such acts will be held accountable for their actions. Hayne’s sentence should serve as a warning to anyone considering engaging in such behaviour.
