Chris Gayle: “I’m a good man. I’m not guilty”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

West Indies opener Chris Gayle has won his defamation case against Fairfax Media after a four-person jury concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove that he exposed himself to a sports massage therapist.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before agreeing that Fairfax Media, which publishes The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Canberra Times, had not based its reports against Gayle, which were published in January 2016, on any concrete evidence.

Leanne Russell was the sports therapist that made the claims against Gayle and told the New South Wales Supreme Court that she saw the “top half of Chris’s penis”.

The incident occurred on February 11, 2015 when Russell entered the changing rooms at the Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.

Following the verdict, Gayle said: “I’m a good man. I’m not guilty. It was very emotional to be criticised in such a manner. This was the first time I had been in a court as well. I’m glad the public actually get a chance to read into things and they can hear what actually transpired.”

When asked if the decision made was better than scoring a century, Gayle responded by saying: “Yes, definitely. I’m not really worried about the money to be honest with you. It was more about the character and the damage it has put towards my name.”

While Gayle was pleased with the outcome of the trial, the same could not be said about Fairfax Media, who were shocked by the jury’s verdict.

“Fairfax Media is concerned with the conduct of the trial to the extent that on Friday it sought an order that the Jury be discharged and a new trial ordered,” a spokesperson said. “The Judge [Justice Lucy McCallum] accepted that the Jury had been misled in a way that prejudiced Fairfax, but declined to discharge the Jury. Fairfax believes that it did not get a fair trial. It is seriously considering its appeal rights.”