'Very serious': Ex-cop charged with perjury in de Belin's rape trial a 'flight risk'

Former Detective Senior Constable Shawn Adams, 48, was based in Wollongong when he allegedly gave false evidence under oath in Mr de Belin's February 2020 trial.

The Director of Public Prosecutions in 2021 dropped sexual assault charges against Mr de Belin and his co-accused Callan Sinclair following two trials, which resulted in hung juries.

Mr de Belin and Mr Sinclair had pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and maintained they were innocent of the allegations.

Adams did not appear before Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday where his matter was mentioned for the first time since the charge of perjury was laid last month.

In court, the DPP applied to have Adams subject to bail conditions after expressing concerns he may be a flight risk.

"I've read the facts, your client has no criminal history but these are very serious charges," Magistrate Claire Girotto said to Adams' defence lawyer David Quayle.

"To be on the safe side there should be some conditions that mitigate the risk of flight."

As part of his bail, Adams is banned from approaching any point of departure from New South Wales, and must also live in Wilton.

The court heard a brief of evidence has already been served and Adams is excused from appearing for the next mention on August 21.

Tendered court documents state Adams allegedly lied under oath about "his review of SMS messages contained on a Nokia mobile phone as exchanged between Jack de Belin and a contact named Craig Lawyer".

The perjury charge comes after Adams told the court during the trial that he believed that the text messages related to "Dragons Football Club business alone".

During a second trial in Sydney, a jury acquitted Mr de Belin and Mr Sinclair of one count and was unable to reach a verdict on five other charges, before plans for a third trial were abandoned.

NSW Police Professional Standards Command launched investigations in 2021 into the conduct of officers involved in the cases.

"Following extensive inquiries and upon receiving advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, police have charged a former Detective Senior Constable with giving false evidence under oath amounting to perjury," police said in a statement on May 3.