Killer of mother and infant sentenced to death

24 February 2012 05:23 pm

The suspect convicted of the gruesome killing of the young wife of an army soldier and his one-and half-year-old child by hacking them with an axe on March 30, 2005 inside a house in the Medagangoda, Udaththawa area of Walasmulla, Pansalgoda, was sentenced to death by Tangalle High Court Judge Chandrasena Rajapakse.
 
The convict Maddumage Lionel alias Lionel Banda (25) was a resident of Punchi Nelukwatte in Pansalgoda, Walasmulla.
 
It was revealed that while W.G. Dayapala, a Lance Corporal of the Sri Lanka Army was away on duty the suspect had entered his house at Medagangoda on March 30, 2005 and had attempted to rape W.G. Soma Malkanthi (28) the young wife of the corporal, failing which he hacked to death the woman and the one-and-a-half-year-old child Shashini Dilhara. The other children had been at school at the time of the incident.
 
When the High Court Judge asked the convict if he had anything to say before the sentenced was passed, he replied in the negative.
 
The Judge ordered the convict be held in custody at the Welikada Prison until the time he is hanged.
 
State Counsel Aparna Suwandurugoda led the prosecution while the assigned counsel Kasun Hettiarachchi represented the accused. (Ariyadasa Kodituwakku)