Sri Lanka's Supreme Court

SRI LANKA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER

November 23, 2023:

A 41-year-old accused who was found guilty for murdering a 52-year-old woman who lived alone in her house by stabbing with a screwdriver on November 22, 2023 was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court.
He was also ordered to 20 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.10,000 by the Colombo High Court for the first charge for forcible entry to the house of the deceased woman.
After considering the evidence transpired during the trial, Colombo High Court Judge Mahesh Weeraman observed that the prosecution was able to prove the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Considering the facts, the Colombo High Court Judge ordered to sentence him to death for the second charge while he was ordered to serve another 20 year imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of Rs.10,000 for the first charge.
The Attorney General had filed indictment in the Colombo High Court against accused Buddhika Hemantha Kumara alias Ajith Pushpakumara for forcibly entering a house of a woman who lived alone and stabbed to death her by using a screwdriver, on January 23 in 2018.
The suspect was 36 at the time of the incident which occurred while he was nabbed by the neighbours and later handed over to the Peliyagoda Police.
The investigations had revealed that the suspect had given statements regarding the matter to the Police by hiding his real name while using the name of his late brother-in-law.
Following that, his real name was revealed by Police Sergeant Jayantha Randeniya.
State Counsel Lishan Rathnayake and State Counsel Githmi Ranathunga appeared on behalf of the Attorney General.