Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, who was accused of sexual assault has now been allowed to use Whatsapp and the overnight curfew imposed on him by the court has also been relaxed, as per The Chronicle.
It was on November 6 that the 31-year-old was arrested on Sussex Street, Australia after a 29-year-old woman had accused him of sexual assault after they matched on Tinder.
The cricketer was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent and was refused bail in the Local Court on November 7, 2022.
According to The Chronicle, the cricketer was presented in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, where his defence barrister Emma Sullivan applied for two variations in the 31-year-old’s bail.
The first condition involved the court allowing Gunathilaka to use WhatsApp which was earlier denied by Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson. However, he is still not allowed to use any dating or social media applications.
As per the report, the defence barrister also urged the court to revoke the overnight curfew and enforcement conditions after police attended Gunathilaka’s home at 2 am.
While opposing the variation, DPP solicitor George Rixon said that it should be in place in order to “mitigate the risks” for further offences.
“The accused’s aggressive sexual behaviour is of concern,” he said.
Gunathilaka has been living in Sydney since being granted bail in November, but was not allowed to access social media unless in the company of his legal team, and also had to adhere to a night-time curfew.
Though acknowledging that Gunathilaka had been fully compliant with the bail conditions thus far, the magistrate did warn that Gunathilaka would spend many months in custody waiting for a trial or sentencing if he breached bail. His case is expected to return to court in April.
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