Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman in Newcastle in 2018 as a taxi waited outside her home, a Sydney court has been told.
Mr Hayne, 35, today pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse without consent, as a large pool of potential jurors was given an outline of the allegations in the NSW District Court.
Crown Prosecutor John Sfinas told the court the complainant initiated contact with Mr Hayne on Instagram, and they messaged for several weeks before he was in Newcastle in late September 2018 for a buck's weekend.
The court heard Mr Hayne arrived at the woman’s house in a taxi, which was kept waiting outside.
The complainant wasn’t aware of the taxi until she heard its horn beeping, the Crown said.
Mr Sfinas said the charges related to two forms of alleged sexual intercourse — oral and digital penetration — and the complainant had said “no” and “stop”.
It allegedly lasted for about 30 seconds and stopped when the complaint’s genitals started to bleed, the court heard.
Mr Sfinas said he expected the jury to hear Mr Hayne left the premises after cleaning up blood from his hands and mouth.
Mr Hayne was first charged over the allegations in November 2018.
Judge Graham Turnbull earlier told the group of potential jurors they needed to bring an open and unprejudiced mind to the task.
The judge said Mr Hayne was someone who, as a result of his sporting achievements, became well known within the community at large.
He said the jurors must be capable of commencing the trial with "a blank sheet of paper in front of you mentally".
“If you hold sympathies for either the accused or the complainant … then it may be you cannot be impartial,” Judge Turnbull said.
Mr Hayne’s barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC, later told the jurors that the sexual activity was "entirely consensual, entirely by agreement".
"It was over in 30 seconds and it was over the instant Mr Hayne noticed the blood," she said during an opening address.
"He didn't mean to cause her any harm at all."
Ms Cunneen said that after the tone of the messages the pair exchanged, their meeting was "always going to be sexual to some extent".
Ms Cunneen read out many of the messages and said the complainant sent Mr Hayne photos of herself "in various stages of undress on Snapchat".
The jury was told that after Mr Hayne left, the complainant sent him a message telling him she was "hurting so much".
"I know I've talked about sex and stuff so much, but I didn't want to do that after knowing the taxi was waiting for you," the message continued.
The jury was told Mr Hayne replied: "Go doctor tomorrow."
The court also heard that during a communication recorded by police, the woman put to Mr Hayne that she had said no.
He replied: "That's completely untrue! Everything we did you consented to."
A jury of 14 was chosen, with the trial expected to run for up to 10 days.
