Two Hunter Valley rugby players deny aggravated sexual assault as jury hears repeated refusals
A Newcastle District Court jury was told a woman repeatedly shouted “no” and “stop” before an alleged rape by two Scone rugby league players who have entered not-guilty pleas.
In a joint trial at Newcastle District Court, Ryan Matthew Hawkshaw and Hayden Charles Topliss have pleaded not guilty to four aggravated sexual intercourse charges stemming from an alleged 2023 assault in Scone. The complainant, who knew Hawkshaw as a “footy boy,” testified that she repeatedly said “no” and “stop” as the men forced her into a threesome after she had already had consensual sex with Hawkshaw. Crown prosecutor Charisse Hodgeman highlighted Instagram exchanges arranging a lift and the night’s events, including the woman driving the men to Topliss’s house.
Defense counsel Sharyn Hall and Caitlin Akthar argued the sexual acts were consensual and cautioned the jury against bias toward athletes. Topliss also faces a fifth charge of sexual assault and a sixth charge of sexual touching from 2024. The trial is expected to last up to ten days.
Why it matters
The case underscores how consent and athlete conduct are examined in the legal system.
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