Danushka Gunathilaka, a cricket player for Sri Lanka, reportedly started crying in front of officers while being detained on the night he allegedly violated a woman at her Sydney home. On Wednesday, September 20, the 32-year-old was seen sobbing in a videotaped police interview during his judge-only trial in Downing Center district court.
In the video that was shown during his hearing, the cricketer can be seen stumbling over his words and wiping his eyes as he recounts what happened. Danushka Gunathilaka further denied kissing, slapping, choking, and having unprotected intercourse with the claimed victim during his interrogation.
He added that they had met at the Opera Bar, followed by a trip to grab pizza in the Sydney Central Business District and a visit to her house for beverages. The court has been told that the couple originally connected on the dating app “Tinder,” according to a report in The Guardian.
The woman claims that on November 2, 2022, while having intercourse at her house in the eastern suburbs, Danushka Gunathilaka engaged in “stealthing” by removing his condom without her permission. The Sri Lankan cricketer has entered a not guilty plea to one count of engaging in sexual activity without permission.
The Danushka Gunathilaka had already appeared in court in July to request a judge-only trial. In a separate plea, his attorney Murugan Thangaraj SC asked the court to expedite the trial so that, if his client was found not guilty, he might return to his native nation as soon as possible. The cricketer’s acute clinical depression, which has been made worse by the ongoing legal actions and media coverage of the matter, was also acknowledged by the court.
During the T20 World Cup in November 2022, Danushka Gunathilaka was detained.
Notably, Gunathilaka was detained on November 6, 2022, in a Sydney Hyatt Regency elevator just before the Sri Lankan cricket team was scheduled to board their flight. Since he was detained last year on suspicion of sexual assault and was forced to give up his passport, the 32-year-old has been stuck in Australia.
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