A Sydney magistrate has adjourned the alleged rape case of Sri Lankan cricketer, Danushka Gunathilaka, so a police brief of evidence can be finalised, Australian media, ABC reported.
Meanwhile, according to the Daily Mail, a lawyer for the Sri Lankan cricketer has slammed lengthy delays in the court proceedings.
Sydney Downing Centre Local Court was told on Thursday that the Crown had not yet served a brief of evidence on the defence despite the cricketer being charged months ago
His lawyer Alen Sahinovic told the court that the Crown had not served any brief of evidence on his team. He criticised the delays and asked the court to order the Crown to serve the working brief within a week.
The prosecutor admitted the brief was not yet compliant. Magistrate Derek Price ordered the brief to be handed over by late January, with the matter returning to court on February 23.
The 31-year-old cricketer is charged with four counts of sexually assaulting a woman he met on the dating app Tinder in November last year when he was in Australia to play in the T20 World Cup.
Police say he had drinks with her in a bar in Sydney’s CBD, before going back to her Rose Bay home in the eastern suburbs.
The woman alleges Gunathilaka choked her so forcefully during the assaults, she feared for her life and that despite asking him to wear a condom, she saw it on the floor next to her bed.
The cricketer was not in court today and has been excused from attending in February if he is represented by his solicitor. His bail, which has strict reporting conditions and a night curfew has been continued.
The cricketer is not allowed to contact the woman making the accusations against him and he is not allowed to use social media or dating apps. He has also surrendered his passport and provided a $200,000 surety.
In November, detectives from the Sex Crimes Squad and Eastern Suburbs police formed Strike Force Veteran to investigate the allegations.
Last year, detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said that the cricketer was being supported by the Sri Lankan consulate. (NewsWire)