Court delivers verdict in coconut theft murder case: Death sentence for first accused

By Bhagya Silva

Colombo, Oct. 24 (Daily Mirror) - Homagama High Court Judge Navarathna Marasinghe today sentenced a man to death after he was found guilty of killing another man using a metal rod used for plucking coconuts, following a dispute over the alleged theft of two coconuts.

The verdict was delivered after a lengthy trial into the indictment filed by the Attorney General over the incident, which had taken place on October 30, 2001, in the Niyadagala–Weliya area, where the victim was fatally assaulted with a metal coconut plucker.

In delivering the judgment, the High Court Judge stated that the prosecution had proved the charge of murder against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

The Judge further ruled that the killing had not occurred under sudden provocation or any abnormal mental condition, rejecting any claim of temporary loss of control.

After evaluating the evidence presented by the witnesses, the Judge observed that the charge of murder against the first accused, Ranjith Dharmasena, had been proven beyond reasonable doubt and therefore found him guilty of murder.

Delivering the judgment, Judge Marasinghe noted that, after considering all the evidence presented both collectively and individually, it was clear to the Court that the prosecution had proven all the essential elements of the charge against the first accused beyond reasonable doubt.

The High Court Judge stated that no acceptable or credible evidence had been presented against the second accused or the third accused, who had passed away during the course of the trial.

Accordingly, the Judge ruled that the second accused was not guilty of the charge of murder and ordered that he be acquitted and released from the case.

The Court determined that the charge of murder brought against the first accused, Kottage Ranjith Dharmasena, had been proven beyond reasonable doubt. Accordingly, the Court found him guilty of the charge of murder as filed by the prosecution.