Football star George Burgess learns his fate after being accused of sexually touching a woman who knew and trusted him for 10 years

Former NRL star George Burgess went to a woman’s house with the intention of having intimate relations with her while dropping off a jersey for a charity event, but did not grope her, observed by a magistrate.

George Burgess has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexually touching another person without consent while at the woman’s home in Sydney in March 2022.

The former St George Illawarra Dragons and South Sydney Rabbitohs forward admitted going to the home of the woman, who he had known for around a decade, after agreeing to provide a signed jersey for charity.

As Mr Burgess appeared in court via audio-visual link, magistrate Emma Manea told the court the former NRL player visited the woman’s home for just 11 minutes, from 10.24am to 10.35am.

The magistrate told the court she believed Mr Burgess’ testimony and acquitted the former footballer.

The former St George Illawarra Dragons and South Sydney Rabbitohs forward has retired at the end of the 2022 season.

Bryan Wrench represented the NRL star at the Downing Center courthouse while Burgess appeared via video link

Earlier this year, Mr Burgess told the court he was only being “cheeky and friendly” to the woman but it was “nothing more than that”.

He was married at the time, but told the court he intended to have intimate relations with the woman and admitted to being “affectionate”, asking her to “stay and be mean” to him .

During the first day of the hearing in October 2023, the woman told the court she felt “violated” when Mr Burgess tried to kiss her moments after putting the jersey back on.

She offered him a cup of tea to “try to defuse the situation”.

“I opened the cupboard and he turned around (and) grabbed me from the bottom,” the woman told police in body vision shown in court.

“I froze inside and just stared at the tea. He placed a hand on either side of my body and leaned against me. …I told him, ‘That’s not going to happen.’

Burgess had admitted going to the woman’s house to drop off a jersey for a charity event

Burgess admitted he intended to be intimate with the woman, but denied groping her.

The court heard Mr Burgess was asked if he was still married and he replied: “Yes, but you know how it is.”

Mr Burgess continued: “Come on, just five minutes, stay and be mean to me.”

He denied kissing the woman or grabbing her bottom, but said he put his hand on her back while she made him a cup of tea “to be friendly”.

“She came over to the kitchen bench and I sort of came behind her to see what tea she was using because I like Yorkshire tea,” Mr Burgess told the court in March.

The court heard the woman said: “I’m not that type of girl, I wouldn’t do that to another woman.” »

While sitting in the living room, Mr Burgess admitted telling her: “We’ve known each other for 10 years, nothing has ever happened between us but something should happen.”

Burgess and the woman had known each other for 10 years before the incident.

Burgess admitted he was “gutted and shocked” after receiving a message from the woman following the incident.

In his evidence, Mr Burgess admitted noticing the woman was “a bit uncomfortable”, which prompted him to leave.

When asked in court if the woman had “rejected” his advances as soon as he arrived, Mr Burgess replied “yes”.

The court heard Mr Burgess sent the woman an ‘excited devil emoji’ after leaving her house, which she ignored but then sent a message saying she was ‘really feeling bad’ comfortable” with what had happened.

“She said you had put a huge cloud over such a great thing you had done regarding the swimsuit and since you had known each other for 10 years, she thought she could trust you in her own house,” said police prosecutor Adrian Walsh. to Mr. Burgess during his testimony.

Mr Burgess told the court he was “gutted and shocked” by the message and responded by saying he was “truly sorry” as he wanted to “defuse” the situation.

The prosecutor asked, “You were trying to water it down so it would protect your family and your career.” »

“Yes,” replied Mr. Burgess.

The woman was emotional during her testimony in October, telling the court she was “petrified” during the interaction and wanted to get Mr Burgess out of her home.

She said she was “uncomfortable” because Mr Burgess was a “six foot man”, twice her weight and had “encroached” on her house.

Mr Burgess, who played for the St George Illawarra Dragons in 2022, announced his retirement that year.

But he returned to win a premiership with Cairns Brothers in the Cairns and District Rugby League competition last season before retiring again.