A cop accused of perjury in the trial of NRL star Jack de Belin had acted with “reckless disregard” and should have been “put on the bench”.

The former police officer accused of perjury in the trial of NRL star Jack de Belin has been blasted by a district court judge, saying he should have been put on the bench.

NSW Police have confirmed a former police officer has been charged with perjury following an in-depth investigation into a sexual assault case heard in the Wollongong District Court in February 2020.

Wollongong police officer Detective Senior Officer Shawn Adams has been charged over testimony he gave during the sexual assault court proceedings against de Belin.

Detective Senior Constable Adams was heavily criticized by Justice Andrew Haesler for his conduct in the investigation at the time.

Judge Haesler said Detective Adams acted with “reckless disregard” in accessing information he had no right to see and should have “removed himself” from the rape investigation allegedly from a Wollongong woman, then aged 19.

Jack de Belin was resigned by his NRL club, St. George Illawarra, during his two trials.

De Belin was found not guilty of one count of sexual assault by a Sydney court after a hung jury was unable to reach a verdict at the first trial in Wollongong.

The Wollongong trial ended in a hung jury, and at a second trial in Sydney a jury found de Belin and co-accused Callan Sinclair not guilty of one count of sexual assault against the female.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining four counts, leading the Director of Public Prosecutions not to proceed with a third trial.

Detective Adams was subsequently the subject of a disciplinary investigation.

The former senior detective was later charged with perjury in relation to Belin’s case in the Wollongong District Court in February 2020.

“In 2021, officers attached to Professional Standards Command launched Strike Force Ephemeris to investigate the conduct of officers involved in the legal matter,” reads the NSW Police press release.

“Following extensive investigations and receiving advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, police have charged a former senior detective with providing false testimony under oath amounting to perjury.

“The 48-year-old man was issued a future notice to appear in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday June 19, 2024. Investigations into Strike Force cases continue.”

De Belin and co-accused Callan Sinclair (photo) have maintained their innocence.

De Belin and Sinclair have always maintained that they are innocent of the allegations and have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The parents of De Belin and Sinclair had previously expressed anger over long delays in the internal investigation following two high-profile trials.

“It’s not enough, our lives are on hold,” said Cathy, de Belin’s mother.

After the trials, the men’s families decided to get together to talk, convinced that the police were targeting their sons.

Ms. de Belin shared her belief that her son was never given a fair chance in court.

“The toughest campaign was incarcerating two innocent men, one of whom made only a moral error,” she said at the time.