Colombo High Court Judge Rashmi Singappuli sentenced a police constable to death after finding him guilty of the brutal murder of his young girlfriend, who was also a police constable.
Delivering the verdict, the Judge ruled that the prosecution had proven the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. The court noted that more than 47 cut injuries, including several deep and fatal wounds found on the victim’s body, clearly demonstrated that the murder had been carried out deliberately and with premeditation.
Accordingly, the accused, Jayasinghe Mudiyanselage Nilantha Pushpakumara, was sentenced to death for the murder of 23-year-old Herath Mudiyanselage Nadishani Madhubashika Samarasinghe. The crime was committed on 07 January 2013 on the flyover opposite the Lanka Telecom Corporation on Lotus Road, Pettah, Colombo.
The High Court Judge also issued a warrant for the arrest of the accused, who has been evading court proceedings for several years after giving evidence in his defence and subsequently absconding.
Evidence led at the trial revealed that the accused, who was attached to a police station in the Colombo area at the time, was aware that the victim was travelling along the flyover at around 7.10 a.m. Eyewitness testimony established that following an argument, the accused removed a knife concealed in his bag and stabbed the victim in the neck before slashing her face, chest and other parts of her body. He later forced poison from a bottle he was carrying into her mouth.
During the trial, it was revealed that the accused and the deceased had trained together at the Police Training College and had developed a romantic relationship while serving at the Koslanda Police Station in 2009. Their relationship had continued with the intention of marriage, with the consent of both families, and the couple had jointly purchased a 43-perch plot of land in the Bibila area to build a home after marriage.
However, evidence showed that the victim’s mother later objected to the marriage, citing concerns over incompatibility and the accused’s character. It was further revealed that days before the murder, the accused had gone to the victim’s home carrying a knife and a bottle of poison and had attempted to exert pressure on her mother.
The accused, while admitting that he met the victim on the flyover, claimed in court that he had attempted suicide by consuming poison following an argument and that he was unaware of how the victim sustained the injuries. The court rejected this version of events, stating in its judgment that the statement was made solely with the intention of evading punishment.
Evidence also highlighted that the deceased was academically gifted but had chosen to join the police force instead of entering university, taking responsibility for supporting her younger siblings and mother following her father’s death. Testimony revealed that she had even worked as a bricklayer prior to joining the police to support her family.
Attorney Pradeep Jayakody, appearing for the aggrieved party, informed court that the Fort Police had failed to take necessary steps to obtain a travel ban when the accused was released on bail, which enabled him to abscond and evade justice for several years.
