West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has won his defamation case against Fairfax Media, which claimed in newspaper articles that he had exposed himself to a female massage therapist.
A New South Wales Supreme Court jury on Monday found Fairfax had not established that the claims were "substantially true".
It also found the media organisation was actuated by malice when it published the stories.
A statement from Fairfax Media said the company was “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”.
It said the judge had accepted that the jury had been misled in a way that prejudiced Fairfax, but declined to discharge the jury.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
“Fairfax believes that it did not get a fair trial,” the spokesperson declared. “It is seriously considering its appeal rights.”
Gayle had sued for defamation stating Fairfax falsely claimed he intentionally exposed his genitals to, and indecently propositioned, Leanne Russell in the West Indies dressing room during a Sydney training session at the 2015 World Cup.
Supporters of Gayle patted him on the back as the jury delivered its decision after less than two hours of deliberation.
Outside the court, Gayle told reporters: “I’m happy with the decision the jury has made. They’ve actually made the right decision.
“I came this far, all the way from Jamaica, to defend myself, my name and my character as well. At the end of the day, I’m very, very happy that it’s come to a close now. But regardless, life was always going to go on for me."
He said he was a fighter, and when asked by a reporter if the outcome was better than scoring a ton, he replied: "Oh yeah, definitely."
He claimed the win was like a "triple century".
He added: "Any person, if they believe in their rights and they haven’t done something wrong, they should always fight for their rights and stand [up] for what they believe in."
- With AAP
