The Gampaha High Court has sentenced five people to death over a fatal house break-in in Attanagalla nearly 25 years ago.
Presiding Judge Rashmi Singappuli delivered the verdict after a lengthy trial, ruling that the prosecution had proven the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt, NewsFirst reported. Those sentenced are all residents of Welagedara, Attanagalla, and include a mother, a father and their two sons.
According to the charges, the group unlawfully entered a house at Welagedara in Diyakawita, Nittambuwa, on the night of 31 October 2001. They assaulted the occupants with stones and clubs, fatally hacked a young man with swords and seriously wounded three others.
Although Sri Lankan courts continue to impose capital punishment for the gravest crimes, the country has maintained a moratorium on executions for decades, with no prisoner put to death since 1976. Those sentenced to death typically remain in prison while pursuing appeals through the higher courts.
