COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Appeal Court on Wednesday (25) vacated the death sentence imposed on the convict who was the second accused in the 2007 quintuple murder in Mahawatte, Delgoda.

On the 22nd of February 2017, the Gampaha High Court Judge sentenced the second accused Welivita Liyanage Don Mahesh Lasantha Perera to death by hanging at the Welikada Prison.

He was indicted with having committed the murder of five members of the same family, K.W.W. Tillakaratne, A.D. Ramyalatha, S.A. Amawathie and two children Dilshan Maduwantha and Sajintha Lakshan at their residence at Mahawatte on the night of May 19th, 2007.

Appeal Court Justice Bandula Karunarathna and R. Gurusinghe delivering the verdict on the appeal on Wednesday (25) noted that the 2nd accused-appellant is acquitted and discharged from all charges against him.

The judgement had noted that the High Court conviction was erroneous.

The first accused was earlier acquitted of all charges and released by the Gampaha High Court, noting that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against him beyond doubt.

Source: News 1st Court Correspondent / Court Reports

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