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Cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka ‘turned into an animal’ during sex with Sydney woman, court told

A woman who alleges she was “stealthed” by Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka told friends “something switched in him” and he “turned into an animal” once they started having sex, a Sydney court has heard.

This story contains content that readers may find distressing.

The 32-year-old batsman has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent over his encounter with the woman in November last year when he was in Australia for the T-20 World Cup.

The NSW District Court has this week heard the two spoke online for several days before they met for drinks at a bar near the Sydney Opera House, went for dinner, and later went back to her eastern suburbs home.

The Crown alleges Mr Gunathilaka removed a condom while the two had sex in her bedroom — an act known as “stealthing” — and that the woman had only consented to protected sex.

On day two of the judge-only trial, the court heard from two of the woman’s friends about their conversations with her in the days that followed.

The complainant cannot be identified for legal reasons, nor can her friends.

In a statement to police, one close friend recalled how the woman said Mr Gunathilaka “seemed really lovely” when they met, but “when we started having sex, it’s like something switched in him and he was really rough”.

The friend also recalled how the woman told her the cricketer was “on top of me, pushing me down,” and “I was really scared so I just had sex with him”.

When the friend asked what made the complainant think he had removed the condom, she said she had “a feeling” and had seen it on the floor after they finished.

The friend said the complainant was crying at the time and said she wasn’t sure if she should go to the police but knew she had to do it soon because the cricketer was going to leave the country.

A second friend called to give evidence told police in a statement the complainant told her that Mr Gunathilaka became “aggressive” on their ferry ride home.

The complainant told that friend she had to convince Mr Gunathilaka to wear protection and “it was like he turned into an animal or different person once we got into the bedroom”.

In her own evidence, the complainant on Monday told the judge she feared for her life and alleged Mr Gunathilaka had choked her three times during intercourse.

Alleged victim cross-examined

On Tuesday, the woman was cross-examined by the cricketer’s defence counsel, Murugan Thangaraj SC.

The barrister questioned her about how his client, who was known to the woman as “Danny”, could have removed the condom when she described the sex in her police statement as continuous.

She insisted “it would only have taken him a few seconds”.

“At no point (in the statement) do you say the sex stopped for a few seconds, do you agree with that?” Mr Thangaraj asked.

“I agree with that,” she replied.

He later asked: “There was no opportunity for Danny to remove the condom according to what you’ve detailed in your first statement, do you agree with that?”

The woman replied: “No, I disagree with that”.

The complainant agreed that at no point did she see or feel Mr Gunathilaka throw the condom on the floor or move his arm in a way that would be consistent with that act.

The trial is expected to conclude on Thursday.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-19/danushka-gunathilaka-accused-of-stealthing-woman-sydney/102875802 Cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka ‘turned into an animal’ during sex with Sydney woman, court told

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