Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka cleared of sexual assault in Australia pokes fun at the trial as he debuts new relationship
Danuskha Gunathilaka, 34, was arrested in November 2022 and charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a Tinder date while he was in Sydney with the Sri Lankan T20 cricket team for the World Cup.
Police had alleged he had removed a condom without consent, also known as 'stealthing', during a sexual encounter with the woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
He was acquitted in September 2023 during a judge-alone trial, with District Court Judge Sarah Huggett noting there were 'deficiencies' in the prosecution's case and the credibility of the complainant.
Now, Gunathilaka has revealed the impact the case had on him as he showcased his new relationship on Instagram this week.
'I'm not sure what's more terrifying, the wedding or the potential for a future court date,' he wrote, alongside photos of him posing alongside his new girlfriend.
'Send wine ... and maybe a lawyer referral.'
Fans flocked to the comments section to wish the sports star congratulations.
'Stunning couple,' one follower wrote.
'Looking beautiful together,' a second said.
One of Gunathilaka's friends added: 'My brother & sister. Love you.'
The relationship launch signals that Gunathilaka has quietly parted ways from his girlfriend, Celine, who supported him during his trial.
During the four-day hearing, his former partner was frequently pictured holding his hand as she accompanied him to court.
When the ruling was handed down, he thanked Celine for standing by his side throughout the ordeal.
'The last 11 months have been really hard for me and especially for my lawyers, my manager, Celine and my parents and a few other people back in Sri Lanka,' he said at the time.
'Everyone believed me and that means a lot to me. I'm happy that my life is normal again, so I can't wait to go back and play cricket.'
The batsman met up with the accuser at Sydney's Opera Bar on November 2, 2022, after they matched on Tinder before returning to her home and having sex.
Gunathilaka was arrested a few days later after she made a report to police.
He was initially charged with four counts of sexual assault, three of which were ultimately dropped before the matter proceeded to court on a single charge of stealthing.
The woman told the court she said to the cricket star she would only agree to have sex if he wore a condom, which he 'grumbled about' but agreed to.
The court heard the woman told police in her first interview that the condom was taken off 'against her will', but Judge Huggett said the woman failed to include 'critical evidence' — which she later provided in another statement six months later.
After considering all the evidence, Judge Huggett ruled there was 'no opportunity' for Gunathilaka to remove the condom because the intercourse was 'continuous'.
'The deficiencies in the prosecution case of stealthing, remembering that the prosecution case was not one of rough or aggressive sexual intercourse, were apparent,' Judge Huggett said at the time.
'They were not the result of the factual findings made at trial … Nor were the deficiencies related simply to the credibility of the complainant.
'There were so many inherent issues and difficulties with the prosecution case that should have been obvious to the prosecution at the outset.'
Gunathilaka was awarded costs over the case.
He returned to Sri Lanka in October 2023 with Celine and has since resumed playing cricket.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
14 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
New footage emerges of attacks on Toll offices in Melbourne
'Police are also looking at whether the incidents are related to any other recent incidents of criminal damage, including an incident at a Greensborough business earlier in July. 'At this time no one has been arrested and the investigation remains ongoing.' Another of the new clips, which the account claims depicts a July 20 attack on a Toll property in Westmeadows, incudes a caption praising terrorist group Hamas and links the vandalism to the Gaza conflict. 'As drivers of genocide in both this colony and overseas, all Toll Holdings assets are valid targets of sabotage,' the clip's caption states. In a statement to The Age, a Toll spokesperson said the logistics giant was aware of the videos. 'We are co-operating fully with police and have provided relevant information to assist with their investigation,' Toll said. 'We take these incidents seriously and continue to maintain security measures across all sites. The safety and wellbeing of our people remain our top priority. 'Regarding claims made by activist groups, Toll provides logistics services compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. Toll Group remains committed to operating safely, responsibly, and in full compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.' NIOA has been contacted for comment. A third video, posted on July 18, shows red paint being sprayed on Toll's St Kilda Road offices and inside the foyer, and windows being smashed. Late on Thursday afternoon, the Instagram account also claimed a federal government contract would see Toll transporting weapons and explosives. Footage of the attacks has been shared by the Australian Jewish Association, a community group that says it is 'guided by Torah and centre-right Australian values', drawing attention to the initial account and criticising the federal government. 'When the Albanese Government incites against the Jewish State, extremists often are inspired to carry our attacks,' it said on X. 'Do you remember a time of so much political and antisemitic violence in Australia? When will the Government take this threat seriously? Are they waiting until people are killed?' On July 17, the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance (WACA) held a snap demonstration outside Toll's St Kilda Road offices, while the red paint and smashed windows were still to be rectified. WACA did not claim responsibility for the latest videos, but posted in support of the incident on its own Instagram account. WACA has drawn the attention of police recently for a series of escalating actions, including shutting down the Port of Melbourne to block Israeli shipping contractors and scaling the roofs of buildings where weapons parts are manufactured. Several WACA figures led a splinter group of about 20 people away from an anti-police rally on the night of Friday, July 4, before they stormed Israeli restaurant Miznon on Hardware Lane. Loading Several people have since been charged over that incident.
The Age
14 hours ago
- The Age
New footage emerges of attacks on Toll offices in Melbourne
'Police are also looking at whether the incidents are related to any other recent incidents of criminal damage, including an incident at a Greensborough business earlier in July. 'At this time no one has been arrested and the investigation remains ongoing.' Another of the new clips, which the account claims depicts a July 20 attack on a Toll property in Westmeadows, incudes a caption praising terrorist group Hamas and links the vandalism to the Gaza conflict. 'As drivers of genocide in both this colony and overseas, all Toll Holdings assets are valid targets of sabotage,' the clip's caption states. In a statement to The Age, a Toll spokesperson said the logistics giant was aware of the videos. 'We are co-operating fully with police and have provided relevant information to assist with their investigation,' Toll said. 'We take these incidents seriously and continue to maintain security measures across all sites. The safety and wellbeing of our people remain our top priority. 'Regarding claims made by activist groups, Toll provides logistics services compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. Toll Group remains committed to operating safely, responsibly, and in full compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.' NIOA has been contacted for comment. A third video, posted on July 18, shows red paint being sprayed on Toll's St Kilda Road offices and inside the foyer, and windows being smashed. Late on Thursday afternoon, the Instagram account also claimed a federal government contract would see Toll transporting weapons and explosives. Footage of the attacks has been shared by the Australian Jewish Association, a community group that says it is 'guided by Torah and centre-right Australian values', drawing attention to the initial account and criticising the federal government. 'When the Albanese Government incites against the Jewish State, extremists often are inspired to carry our attacks,' it said on X. 'Do you remember a time of so much political and antisemitic violence in Australia? When will the Government take this threat seriously? Are they waiting until people are killed?' On July 17, the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance (WACA) held a snap demonstration outside Toll's St Kilda Road offices, while the red paint and smashed windows were still to be rectified. WACA did not claim responsibility for the latest videos, but posted in support of the incident on its own Instagram account. WACA has drawn the attention of police recently for a series of escalating actions, including shutting down the Port of Melbourne to block Israeli shipping contractors and scaling the roofs of buildings where weapons parts are manufactured. Several WACA figures led a splinter group of about 20 people away from an anti-police rally on the night of Friday, July 4, before they stormed Israeli restaurant Miznon on Hardware Lane. Loading Several people have since been charged over that incident.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Sri Lankan cricket star cleared of assaulting Tinder date shows off his new girlfriend
Sri Lankan cricket star Danushka Gunathilaka, who was cleared of sexually assaulting a woman Down Under, has poked fun at the court case as he flaunted his new girlfriend on social media. Gunathilaka was arrested in November 2022 and charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a Tinder date while in Sydney. The 34-year-old was part of the Sri Lankan side Down Under for the T20 World Cup. He was accused of stealthing – removing a condom without consent – during a sexual encounter with a female in Sydney's eastern suburbs. He was acquitted the following year during a judge-alone trial. Since then, he returned to Sri Lanka and restarted his cricket career, but hasn't made it back into the national team since. And on Friday, Gunathilaka took his chance to poke fun at the ordeal as he debuted his new relationship on Instagram. 'I'm not sure what's more terrifying, the wedding or the potential for a future court date. Send wine … and maybe a lawyer referral, ' he wrote, alongside a photo carousel of him and his new flame. Fans were quick to celebrate the cricket star's new love interest. 'Looking beautiful together,' one wrote. 'Good luck man,' another said. While others were greatly amused by the caption writing 'cheeky caption' and 'cheeky cheeky boy'. Gunathilaka was supported during his trial by his girlfriend Celine, but the post suggests the pair quietly went their separate ways in the months that followed. What happened during Gunathilaka's trial Gunathilaka was arrested in the early hours of November 6 at the Hyatt Regency and taken to Day Street Police Station, where he answered questions for more than two hours. During his recorded interview, the cricketer became emotional as he spoke about a spiritual conversation he had with the alleged victim, where she said she had the power to 'see the future'. He told police he was 'interested' as he was a Buddhist. 'We were talking about religious things … she can see in a past life and we chatted about that kind of stuff,' he said in the interview as he broke down in tears. Gunathilaka told officers he asked the woman to tell him about his past life. He said she told him they used to be neighbours in Thailand. The cricketer told police he became scared and 'got a feeling' the woman was 'a bit weird', prompting him to leave. She ordered him a taxi. During his trial, he was asked if at any point he put his penis 'into her without a condom on'. 'No, no, definitely not,' Mr Gunathilaka replied. In the end, Judge Sarah Huggett described aspects of the police's handling of the woman's complaint as 'deeply troubling' and acquitted the Sri Lankan cricketer. 'Aspects of the handling of her complaint were far from satisfactory and, to be frank, very concerning,' she said. In particular, it was said that notes taken by officers during the woman's first interview with police 'make no record of an offence of stealthing'. She also said that 'for no good reason at all, those notes were destroyed.'
