An Australian man has been found not guilty of murdering a woman he met through Tinder.
Gable Tostee,UK 30, was accused of murdering 26-year-old Warriena Wright on the Gold Coast after she tumbled from his apartment balcony on Aug. 8, 2014.
Tostee plead not guilty in the Queensland state Supreme Court, Brisbane. He was also acquitted of manslaughter when the jury delivered their verdict Thursday.
The prosecution argued that Wright, a New Zealand tourist, was so terrified of Tostee that she fell 14 floors trying to escape his home.
The pair met for the first time on the day of her death in the resort town of Surfers Paradise after connecting on the dating app. Later, they went to his apartment.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable It was suggested Wright became so fearful and intimated by Tostee that she believed climbing off the balcony was her only option after he locked her on it.
A recording of more than two hours made on Tostee's mobile phone was played in court, ABC reported. The pair drink and listen to music, and later, Wright is heard to hit Tostee. She looks for her phone and threatens to call the police when she can't find it.
"I didn't say you have to leave, I just said stop beating me up," he says. "I don't deserve this s*** alright. I'm a nice f***ing guy ... calm down, please."
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The prosecution alleged Tostee became angry and physically aggressive after she had hit him with ornamental rocks and a telescope.
"You're lucky I haven't chucked you off my balcony," he says in the recording. "If you try to pull anything, I'll knock you out."
A neighbour heard Wright crying, "No, no, no, please let me go home," before witnessing her falling from the balcony about 15 seconds later, the jury was told.
The defence said the New Zealander was becoming increasingly irrational and aggressive toward Tostee, forcing him to lock her on the balcony. According to the ABC, his lawyer argued Tostee was "de-escalating" the situation by locking her out.
Flowers are seen at the Avalon apartment building in Surfers Paradise where Wright fell to her death. Credit: Getty Images Wright's sister, Marreza Wright, told the court she had received two Facebook messages that night from her sibling, the Brisbane Timesreported. One said she had found "an Australian Sam Winchester," a character from the TV show Supernatural, and the other was a selfie of Wright and Tostee.
The jury deliberated for four days after struggling to reach a verdict.
A decision was further delayed after it was found a juror had been posting about attending the trial on Instagram. The judge found the incident was not serious enough to warrant a mistrial.
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"Mr. Tostee is very happy with the result," his lawyer said outside the court. "He looks forward to putting this behind him."
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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