SRI LANKA. ACCUSED IN MURDER CASE SENTENCED TO DEATH

March 19, 2008: in Sri Lanka, Galle High Court Judge Bandusena Rajapakse sentenced Appuwa Waduge Ariyasena, of Pospathota, Dodanduwa, Hikkaduwa, to death for killing Jayasinghe Kankanamage Piayasena. Piayasena, a 52 year old father of two, was attacked with an axe on July 3, 1998, at Posnagoda Gorakagasbokka. The prosecution depended on circumstantial evidence as no eye witnesses volunteered to give evidence. It was revealed that the victim was an alcoholic. On the day of the incident the deceased demanded money from his wife to drink kasippu.
When she refused to give him money, the deceased went to the house of the accused to drink kasippu. Later his body was recovered from the compound of the accused’s house. (Sources: Daily Mirror, 19/03/2008)