Dramatic scenes as convicted rapist Jarryd Hayne is jailed: Distraught wife bursts into tears and has one long final hug with her husband as he’s handcuffed and taken away

• Jarryd Hayne taken into custody
• Emotional NRL star hugged wife 

By CANDACE SUTTON and AIDAN WONDRACZ FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

PUBLISHED: 14 April 2023 

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Both Jarryd Hayne and his wife broke down in tears as he was taken into custody following a failed bid to remain free until his sentencing hearing next month. 

There were dramatic scenes in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday morning as Justice Richard Button revoked the disgraced NRL star’s bail for rape convictions. 

Hayne, 35, was handcuffed and taken from the court as his wife Amellia Bonnici sobbed. 

She hugged her husband for several minutes, repeatedly telling him that she loved him. 

The pair rested their heads against one another. Hayne cried and wiped his eyes as he was taken down to the cells.

Hayne was this month found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at her home near Newcastle in September 2018. 

He granted bail last week to sort out his affairs ahead of his sentencing hearing on May 8 – but will spend this afternoon, and the next three weeks, behind bars. 

Afterwards, he will be told how long he will be jailed for. 

Justice Button said Hayne had ‘committed extremely grave sexual offences’ and described the initial decision to let him remain at liberty as being one made ‘remarkably, in my opinion’. 

Jarryd Hayne’s wife Ms Bonnici left the court surrounded by seven court sheriffs and was ushered to a black car waiting outside. She sobbed and hugged the convicted rapist before he was led away

The disgraced NRL star held his wife Amellia Bonnici’s hand as the pair pushed through the throng of media waiting outside court

Justice Button said Hayne had ‘no special or exceptional logistical problems to be encountered’ to prevent him from being locked up immediately, although he noted there would be difficulties for his family.

He said that ‘whenever a loved person is incarcerated (it causes) enormous heartache’.

Several NRL fans had turned up to court to throw their support behind Haynes and shared words of encouragement as he was led away in handcuffs. 

‘You’re innocent,’ one yelled. 

Another added: ‘Stay strong big fella.’

Hayne was emotionless throughout the two hour and 45-minute hearing, only breaking down as he embraced his wife.

Ms Bonnici left the court surrounded by seven court sheriffs and was ushered to a black car waiting outside the court.

With her head bowed she followed a large group of Hayne’s supporters and family leaving the court.

Supporters put their hands over Ms Bonnici and up in front of cameras as the sheriffs told the media pack to stay back.

Hayne’s defence barrister Margaret Cunneen SC asked for the court to give him another 25 days of freedom.

She argued her client would face more than three weeks of segregation and isolation in prison, should he be locked up today.

Hayne, 35, faced the court in a bid to fight attempts by prosecutor Brett Hatfield to throw him behind bars before his sentencing date next month.

‘He is not a danger to anyone,’ Ms Cunneen said, citing ‘the extraordinary media coverage and a toxic and terrifying campaign of social media’ portraying Hayne as ‘a sex offender of the most debased, the worst kind.’ 

With her head bowed Ms Bonnici followed a large group of Hayne’s supporters and family leaving the court

Last Thursday, NSW District Court Judge Graham Turnbull SC permitted Hayne to remain at liberty on bail to help his family get sorted for his looming prison sentence. 

The Director of Public Prosecutions applied this week for a higher court to overturn the ruling and put him behind bars. 

Ms Cunneen claimed in court the 25 days Hayne would spend in protective custody if jailed today as ‘oppressive’.

She said the case had been going on for a long time, ‘three trials and four-and-a-half years’.

As she argued for her client’s continued liberty, Hayne sat in the dock of the court, his face impassive.

He bowed his head as prosecutor Brett Hatfield argued for him to be locked up, saying there were ‘no special or exceptional circumstances in regard to this offender’ to spare him immediate imprisonment.

Earlier this morning, Hayne was spotted visibly looking tense outside his home in Merrylands. He held Ms Bonnici’s hand as the pair arrived at court this morning. 

He hid his eyes behind a pair of large black sunglasses and wore a tie, suit jacket and fawn pants.

Hayne put his arm briefly round the shoulder of his barrister Ms Cunneen after walking into court.

By 10.30am a crowd of Hayne’s supporters had arrived, including family members, who sat inside the court. 

Justice Button said he did not require anyone to testify to the court, including Ms Bonnici and would accept an affidavit she has previously had sworn.

Jarryd Hayne appeared tense as he arrived at NSW Supreme Court on Friday 

Hayne was spotted leaving his home and making a beeline for his car before arriving at the NSW Supreme Court 

Ms Cunneen argued that Hayne’s case was one of special or exceptional circumstances, to which His Honour replied that those circumstances had to justify his continuance on bail.

Justice Button said that ‘violence against people in jail (is not acceptable) but the reality is many people in custody need to be placed within limited areas to protect them’.

‘There is great public interest in the criminal justice system especially sexual (crimes),’ he said.

Ms Cunneen said it would make a great difference if Ms Bonnici and the children could be re-located to a country centre four hours out of Sydney for the next three or four weeks ‘with the protection of her husband’.

After Ms Cunneen argued that immediate imprisonment would ‘impinge very much on his preparation for custody’, Justice Button agreed that ‘for anyone held in very strict custody that can make it difficult’.

‘But really,’ the judge asked, ‘is this something special, exceptional, justifying?

‘It’s been proven that Mr Hayne is a man who has sexually assaulted a woman.’

The court has previously heard there was ‘no question’ Hayne will be sentenced to prison after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in 2018.

Hayne was earlier this month convicted by a jury for a second time.

Following his first guilty verdict, he spent nine months in jail before he last year had his previous conviction quashed on appeal.

He is once again expected to appeal his latest conviction in the Court of Appeal and continues to maintain his innocence.

The NRL star was accompanied by his wife as he stepped out the front door of his home 

Hayne put his arm briefly round the shoulder of his barrister, Margaret Cunneen SC, after walking into court