Court of Appeal reduces 14‑year sentence to four years in the 2003 Dikkanda Estate killing, ruling that cumulative provocation, the appellant’s advanced age, and a 21‑year delay warranted a lesser term. Judges upheld the conviction under Section 297 but ordered compensation of Rs. 200,000 to the victim’s family while maintaining the original fine.
Who Is this Abeywickrama Dissanayaka Piyadasa? Do you know that this is none other than Ranga Dissanayake's uncle?
The full name of the Sri Lankan High Court Judge and Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is Ranga Srinath Abeywickrema Dissanayake.
Our special correspondent stated that Ranga Dissanayake is currently working to obtain a presidential pardon for his release.
The Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka has reduced the prison term of Abeywickrama Dissanayaka Piyadasa, convicted for the 2003 killing of fellow security officer Hapuarachchige Jayasena at the Dikkanda Estate in Gampaha.
Delivering judgment, Justice P. Kumararatnam, with Justice R. P. Hettiarachchi concurring, ruled that the original 14‑year rigorous imprisonment imposed by the High Court was excessive given the circumstances. The court substituted a four‑year sentence, maintaining the Rs. 30,000 fine and ordering Rs. 200,000 compensation to the victim’s family.
The judges found that the deceased had repeatedly provoked the appellant by spreading rumours about his extramarital affair, leading to a moment of lost self‑control. The court accepted that the act was committed under grave and sudden provocation, not premeditation.
The bench also noted the 21‑year delay in concluding the case and the appellant’s advanced age of 72, observing that he had confessed immediately, cooperated with police, and shown remorse.
The appeal was dismissed subject to the variation of sentence, and the Registrar was directed to forward the judgment to the High Court of Gampaha.