(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Sri Lankan Cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka is set to finally return home from Australia after a period of 11 months after being found not guilty by a Sydney Court on a sexual assault case.
The cricketer who faced a Judge-only trial is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka tonight.
Despite the verdict in the sexual assault case freeing Danushka Gunathilaka of all charges, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is yet to announce its decision on the temporary suspension imposed on the cricketer.
The SLC had imposed a temporary ban on the cricketer after he was arrested on charges of sexual assault during the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
The International cricket star faced a judge-alone trial at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney after pleading not guilty to one charge of sexual assault without consent.
The charge relates to an incident on November 2 last year when it is alleged the 32-year-old removed a condom while having sex – known as stealthing – with a woman at her home in Sydney’s east.
Gunathilaka was arrested in the early hours of November 6 at the Hyatt Regency, where the Sri Lankan cricket team was staying at the time for the T20 World Cup.
He was then taken to Day Street Police Station where he answered questions for more than two hours and later detained in Australia for the duration of the trial.
Although initially several charges were filed against the cricketer, including rape, all other charges have been dropped aside from one.
Issuing the verdict on the single charge against the Sri Lankan cricketer, Judge Sarah Huggett said the cricketer was found not guilty of sexual assault.
The Sydney judge said the evidence established there was “no opportunity” for him to have removed a condom during sex, and that he was truthful in his police interview.
