Gunathilaka granted bail in case of alleged sexual assault
18 November 2022
Agency :
Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka is set to release from prison on Thursday after being granted bail in a second bid before the Local Court.
After being charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent, the 31-year-old has been held on remand for 11 days.
On Thursday, he appeared in his prison greens at Sydney Downing Centre to make an urgent request for release, backed by a $200,000 surety provided by a "friend of a friend."
Under his strict bail conditions, he is not to access any of his existing social media profiles or dating profiles once released from prison, and will not be able to leave Australia as his passport has been surrendered.
Police allege the international cricket star matched with a woman on a dating app and they chatted several times before they met on November 2.
According to police, the pair had drinks in the city before returning to the woman's home in Sydney's eastern suburbs around 11 p.m.
Mr Gunathilaka allegedly ignored the woman's request to "take it slow," instead choking and assaulting her in her own home.
When the pair moved to the bedroom, the top order batsman allegedly pushed himself on top of the woman. According to police, the woman was uneasy and agreed to continue sexual activity only if Gunathilaka wore a condom.
