Tostee fights casino ban over ‘sex’

A man who was previously acquitted for the murder of his Tinder date is fighting a ban from Star casino on anti-discrimination laws after he allegedly strangled a woman in a hotel room.

A Gold Coast man who was acquitted of the high-rise murder of his Tinder date has been banned from the Star casino after a security guard allegedly found him “over the top” of a woman fighting her while her dress was “up over her hips” in a hotel room.

Accused murderer Gable Tostee (right) with lawyer Nick Dore arriving at the Brisbane Supreme Court in 2016. Picture: Tara Croser.

Gable Tostee, who now goes by the name Eric Thomas, went to trial and was acquitted of the manslaughter and murder of New Zealand woman Warriena Wright, who plunged to her death from a 14th-floor balcony in 2014.

The court was told that Mr Tostee and Ms Wright had gone back to his apartment after a Tinder date when the pair became involved in an altercation, with Ms Wright plunging to her death.

Mr Tostee pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations made against him.

Warriena Tagpuno Wright was from Lower Hutt in New Zealand. Picture: Supplied

Ms Wright died after falling from a Surfers Paradise apartment. Picture: Supplied

Mr Thomas has now taken the Star Casino to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal over an incident which occurred in April 2022.

The tribunal heard that Mr Thomas was banned from The Star Gold Coast’s Grand Hotel in Broadbeach after a disturbance, where security found “found a female guest. on her back with her dress up over her hips and with Mr Thomas ‘over the top of her’ fighting.”

Police were called, and the woman claimed she had been strangled by Mr Thomas.

He was taken to a Southport watch-house, but police did not lay charges.

Mr Thomas has now launched anti-discrimination proceedings against the casino’s operator to reverse his ban, claiming that he was discriminated against because he was a male.

He says that the exclusion has caused him “tremendous … psychological and social harm” and that he was only given the ban because of his sex.

Mr Thomas applied for an interlocutory injunction to allow him into the casino pending the discrimination hearing in November.

Eric Thomas (Gable Tostee) leaving Brisbane Magistrates Court on earlier drink driving charges. Picture: Tara Croser.

Mr Thomas said he had been discriminated against because he was a man. Picture: Supplied

QCAT Senior Member Samantha Traves refused to grant the injunction, saying that the harm that could be caused by Mr Thomas at the venue outweighed the harm to his mental health.

“The Star would potentially be exposed to liability for any adverse incidents involving Mr Thomas and its patrons and could also suffer reputational damage through any related adverse publicity should Mr Thomas again engage in such behaviour,” Ms Traves said.

The hearing has been set down in Brisbane to begin on November 17.

Mr Thomas took to social media to express his outrage at the tribunal’s decision, calling himself the victim.

“They are objectively disproven lies,” he wrote.

Originally published as Tostee fights casino ban over ‘sex’