Motorcyclist fined and sentenced to one year jail term

A motorcyclist who caused the death of a police officer by haphazard riding was sentenced to one year imprisonment and fined Rs.9,000 by the Maho Chief Magistrate Ruwan Dhammika yesterday.

He was ordered to pay Rs.1 million as compensation for the deceased Sergeant H.M. Somapala (44), father of two children, who was a resident of Ambanpola. The police officer had been on his way home on a motorcycle after duty when he met with the accident.

Police that investigated this head-on collision of two motorcycles at Daladagama in Maho on July 14, 2005 that resulted in the death of the police officer had filed action against the accused Wanigasinghe Arachchilage Madhusanka Dilshan Wanigaratne of Kotiyakumbura who was the rider of one of the motorcycles.