Free to go: Gable Tostee cleared of killing Warriena Wright
Gable Tostee has been found not guilty of murdering his Tinder date, New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright.
The 30-year-old was also acquitted of Ms Wright's manslaughter by a jury after a dramatic trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court.
Minutes after the verdict was delivered, Tostee walked out of the court building accompanied by his lawyer, who told the waiting media: "Gable is looking forward to putting it behind him."
Ms Wright, 26, fell to her death trying to climb over the balcony of Tostee's 14th floor Surfers Paradise apartment in the early hours of August 8, 2014.
Tostee was standing next to his lawyer when he addressed the media. Source: 7 News.
Gable Tostee walks away from the Supreme Court and does not answer any media questions. Image: AAP
The jury had reached a verdict earlier in the afternoon but the decision was not handed down and the case was dramatically adjourned.
Judge John Byrne later explained the reason for the delay was because a juror "communicated publicly" on Instagram during the trial.
The dramatic decision came after the jury returned to the courtroom during the fourth day of deliberations after seemingly struggling to reach a decision on whether he was responsible for Ms Wright's death.
“Warriena Wright's family are still coming to terms with the loss of their daughter and sister,” said a family spokesperson told the waiting media outside the courtroom.
“This had been an incredibly traumatic situation.
“The family would like to make a request for the public to respect their privacy,” she concluded.
Tostee met New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright via dating app Tinder on the Gold Coast in 2014.
The jury in the complex murder trial asked for advice from Justice Byrne four times after first retiring on Monday.
On Wednesday afternoon, the jury asked the judge yet another question during their third day of deliberations.
Justice Byrne was asked: "Is language to be considered as force?"
Within 30 minutes, the judge came back with a concise answer.
He said, "short answer is no".
Warriena Wright and Gable Tostee.
Tostee was not alleged to have pushed or thrown Ms Wright from his 14th floor balcony but, the prosecution said, intimidated her so greatly, she felt climbing over the railing was the only way to escape from him.
The judge received four notes from the jury with a total of seven questions.
They indicated on Tuesday afternoon they were having difficulties reaching a decision but were told by the judge to persevere.
Gable Tostee arrives at the Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday morning. Photo: AAP
Warriena Wright fell to her death from the 14th floor of Tostee's Gold Coast apartment. Photo: Supplied
In the first note, they asked what Tostee's age at the time of the alleged offence was, if they should consider how drunk Ms Wright was, and the nature of an item in Tostee's hand seen on CCTV footage after she died.
Ms Wright was visiting Australia on a two-week holiday at the time of her death. Photo: Supplied
The jury have entered the third day of deliberations in Tostee's murder trial. Photo: AAP
The second note asked two more questions relating to a home owner's right to remove a disorderly person from their apartment.
Justice Byrne told the jurors in his instructions on Monday that they could find Tostee guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter if they concluded he unlawfully killed Ms Wright but did not intend to cause her possibly fatal harm.
Tostee had denied murdering Ms Wright, with his defence suggesting he is not criminally responsible because he could not have foreseen Ms Wright's fatal fall.
