Former AFL Star Receives Substantial Prison Term for Sexual Assaults at His Fitness Centre
A former Port Adelaide AFL midfielder turned bodybuilder has been handed a custodial sentence exceeding five years for sexually assaulting a woman on two separate occasions at his gym facility near Adelaide.
Callum Hay, who played for the Port Power, was sentenced in the District Court on Wednesday to five years and eight months imprisonment. The sentence has been backdated to August 15 of last year, with a non-parole period set at three years and two months.
Guilty Verdicts and Emotional Courtroom Scenes
Hay was found guilty of two counts of rape in August last year, while being acquitted of a third charge. As the sentence was delivered, members of Hay's family and his supporters were observed weeping in the public gallery of the courtroom.
The court heard detailed evidence from Prosecutor Jim Pearce KC regarding the two attacks, which occurred in February 2023 at the BFT Gym in Mount Barker, a business owned by the former athlete.
Disturbing Details of the First Assault
Prosecutor Pearce outlined that the initial assault took place in a car outside the fitness centre. Hay had attempted to kiss the victim, who protested and moved away. Despite her clear objections, he persisted.
'She told him to stop, but he wasn't taking no for an answer,' Pearce told the court during the August hearing. 'She tried to pull away. He then put his hands down her pants and she protested. She told him to stop.'
The prosecutor further stated that Hay had 'grabbed the woman by the neck' and subsequently began masturbating while looking at her. Unbeknownst to Hay, the victim had recorded part of this incident on her mobile phone.
Second Attack Inside the Gym Premises
Days after the first assault, Hay approached the woman again inside the gymnasium. He forced her against a wall while she pleaded for release.
'She was begging him to let her go. He was groping her. He groped her breasts,' Pearce informed the court, describing the second violent encounter.
Judge Highlights Chilling Defendant Remark
During sentencing, Judge Ian Press emphasised a particularly revealing comment made by Hay to his victim. 'Towards the end of that incident [the second rape], when you were again told to stop, you said to her, "I don't want to stop",' Judge Press stated.
The judge added, 'That comment is, I consider, informative,' underscoring its significance in understanding the defendant's mindset during the assaults.
Victim's Powerful Impact Statement
Last December, the survivor delivered a blistering victim impact statement to the court, condemning Hay's 'complete lack of remorse and refusing to accept responsibility.'
She accused him of having 'threatened her life' and said he had 'enjoyed and fed on her fear.' The woman directly addressed Hay, stating, 'Callum, not only did you seek pleasure in my fear, you have shown no remorse and refused to accept responsibility.'
She further asserted that he had 'continued to harm me through your denials, lies and the slander of my character,' and that his 'ongoing denial of the truth demonstrates an absence of accountability.'
In a powerful declaration of resilience, she concluded, 'The jury has recognised the truth of what I endured by finding you guilty. It is essential you are held accountable to prevent you from causing this level of harm to anyone else. Callum, I refuse to let you or the abuse you inflicted define the rest of my life. I will rise, I will reclaim my voice, my safety and my future. You no longer have power over me.'
The case has drawn significant attention due to Hay's former professional sporting profile and the brutal nature of the crimes committed within a business he operated.
