BY SENUSHI LIYANAARACHCHI
Danushka Gunathilaka’s legal counsel questioned a Sydney woman yesterday (19) over his suspected sexual assault on November 02 2022.
The alleged victim claims that she was assaulted by Gunathilaka at her home in the Eastern suburbs after matching with him on Tinder. The event occurred after the pair had met at the Sydney Opera Bar for a date.
According to the victim, Gunathilaka claimed that it was not necessary for him to wear a condom and that she would not fall pregnant. Despite this, the batsman has pleaded not guilty to one count of non-consensual sexual intercourse, denying any wrongdoing.
From October 31, the duo had conversed consistently on the dating app, Instagram and WhatsApp before meeting on November 02 whilst Gunathilaka was in Australia to compete in the T20 World Cup.
The rape trial, conducted at Sydney’s Downing Centre district court continued on Tuesday (19), with the alleged victim claiming that the cricketer may have removed the condom and thrown it on the floor whilst he was choking her or slapping her from behind.
When asked about the events following the pair’s departure from the Opera Bar, the woman claimed that Gunathilaka forcefully kissed her on the ferry’s front outdoor deck and slapped her from behind in a manner she did not approve of. This occurred on their return to her home.
CCTV footage shows the alleged victim embracing Gunathilaka and chatting on an outdoor deck. Inside the cabin, footage shows the pair holding hands before the woman stands up to leave. The alleged victim claims that the events she recounted occurred in another area of the ferry with no CCTV, admitting that she does not know at what point on the ferry the slap occurred.
The woman allegedly invited the cricketer to her home, offered him some wine and played the guitar, stopping when Gunathilaka kept filming her without her permission.
Defence barrister Murugan Thangaraj SC, claimed that the alleged events following this may not have actually occurred.
Thangaraj questioned the woman’s allegations of allowing the batsman into her bedroom and lighting candles, despite his aggressive actions.
The trial continues, heard before Judge Sarah Huggett without a jury.
