DEATH SENTENCE IN ROYAL PARK MURDER APPEAL
Delivered the judgment. They dismissed the appeal who was convicted in the murder of 19year-old Yvonne Johansson
The Appeal Court yesterday allowed the Attorney General’s request to change the 12year rigorous imprisonment imposed by the Colombo High Court to a death sentence on Jude Shramantha Jayamaha who was convicted in the murder of 19year-old Yvonne Johansson at the Royal Park Condominium. Justice W.L.R. Ranjith Silva with Justice Nalin Perera agreeing delivered the judgment. They dismissed the ap-
He was found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder
peal filed by Jayamaha.Additional Solicitor General Jayantha Jayasuriya appeared for the AG. President’s Counsel Anil Silva appeared for the accused.
Jayamaha was charged with the murder of Yvonne Johansson at the Royal Park Condominium in Rajagiriya in 2005.
As Yvonne stepped outside the elevator, he had approached her and demanded his keys and the credit cards from her
He was found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced to 12 years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court.
In that judgment High Court judge I.M. Abeyratne said the punishment, which included a fine of Rs.300,000 was mitigated considering that the accused was only 20 years old and had already been in remand for more than a year.
However, the Attorney General filed an
AG filed an appeal asking the accused be found guilty of murder, setting aside the lesser conviction of culpable homicide However, the Attorney General filed an appeal asking that the accused be found guilty of murder, setting aside the lesser conviction of culpable homicide handed down by the Colombo High Court.
appeal asking that the accused be found guilty of murder, setting aside the lesser conviction of culpable homicide handed down by the Colombo High Court.
The victim Yvonne was 19-years-old at the time she was murdered. The accused Shramantha Jayamaha was also 19 at the time. The AG indicted the accused under Section 296 of the Criminal Procedure Code on charges of committing the murder of 19-year-old Yvonne Johansson at the Royal Park Condominium on July 1, 2005.
The incident happened on the 19th floor of the apartment at about 2 a.m. Yvonne had returned to Sri Lanka a few days earlier after being abroad for some time. On the day of the incident, Yvonne and her sister had attended a school function in Colombo. They drove their own car that day. After the function, both of them drove to Bagatalle Road in Kollupitiya to pick up a friend.
The friend was Yvonne’s former boyfriend. Over some disagreement, Yvonne had broken off the affair. But her younger sister continued to have a close relationship with him.