Footy star is ordered to PAY his wife $500,000 after bitter split where she accused him of sexually assaulting her leaving her feeling ‘violated and disgusting’
- Former Origin star Michael Jennings ordered to pay his ex-wife $500K by judge
- Kirra Wilden had alleged Jennings sexually assaulted her during the marriage
- She brought civil proceedings for injuries and PTSD suffered as a result
- Mr Jennings denies he sexually assaulted her, or caused her PTSD
- The case was referred to NSW Police for further investigation by Justice Wilson
Former State or Origin and NRL star Michael Jennings has been ordered to pay his ex-wife $500,000 in damages after a bitter court case.
Kirra Wilden, Mr Jennings ex-wife, sought damages against the former star centre after alleging he had abused her during the relationship.
The allegations included that Mr Jennings raped her four times between October 2014 and early 2016.
Ms Wilden sued for personal injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder, she said she sustained during the relationship.
Former NRL star Michael Jennings is iictured with his ex-wife Kirra Wilden at the 2015 Dally M Awards. She has ben awarded $490,000 in damages, plus court costs, after alleging he abused her throughout their relationship
Judge David Wilson ruled in Ms Wilden’s favour in the NSW District Court on Tuesday and ordered Mr Jennings pay her nearly $490,000 in damages.
The award included $200,000 in general damages, $51,000 for costs related to future treatment, and $100,000 for economic loss.
‘It is plain that Ms Wilden has suffered enormous insult, humiliation, embarrassment and shame by the conduct of Mr Jennings, and that ought to be reflected in an award of damages,’ Judge Wilson said in his judgement.
Mr Jennings was ordered to pay Ms Wilden’s legal costs.
Judge Wilson also referred the case to NSW police for further investigation.
Mr Jennings has has never been charged in relation to the case. He denies sexually assaulting Ms Wilden and said if she suffered PTSD, he was not the cause
Jennings was considered one of the NRL’s premier centre during a 13-year first-grade career playing with the Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels
Mr Jennings has has never been charged in relation to the case. He denies sexually assaulting Ms Wilden and said if she suffered PTSD, he was not the cause.
During the proceedings Ms Wilden gave evidence that Mr Jennings had verbally abused her and physically assaulted her while drunk.
She testified that Mr Jennings had sex with her in October 2014 after she’d said ‘no’ but that she did not regard it as rape at the time because she felt it was her ‘duty’ to have sex with him.
The court heard Ms Wilden answered banging on the front door to find Jennings on his hands and knees before he crawled through the front door, laughing.
She testified that he touched her in bed while accusing her of sleeping with other men and called her ‘a slut.’
Ms Wilden said she resisted Jennings’ advances but that he ‘pulled my underwear down’
‘He… then began having sex with me and I just laid there, looking away and crying.’
She said she sat in the shower afterwards feeling ‘violated and disgusting’.
Jennings was considered one of the NRL’s premier centre during a 13-year first-grade career playing with the Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels. He also represented Australia seven times between 2009 and 2015.
Justice Wilson found Ms Wilden a ‘credible’ witness whose testimony in the trial was ‘consistent’.
By contrast he described that Mr Jennings would often smile or laugh while giving evidence, ‘which raised concerns as to the seriousness which he attached to the proceedings generally.
‘Whilst those characteristics might be excused on the basis that he may well have been nervous, there were also inconsistencies in his evidence which caused doubts as to his reliability.
‘He also gave evidence that he had a history of lying to Ms Wilden, mostly as to his social life.’
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