Ambagahawattage Sarath Fernando vs Hon. The Attorney General – CA NO:270/2012-2014

In the case between Hon. The Attorney General (Plaintiff) and Ambagahawattage Sarath Fernando (Accused-Appellant), the court addressed whether the conviction and sentence for murder and robbery, founded principally upon circumstantial evidence, were properly established against the accused-appellant. It was held that despite a misdirection at trial—specifically concerning proof of ownership of a pawning receipt and a ring linked to the deceased—the evidence, when taken in totality, justified upholding the conviction. The principle reaffirmed was that a conviction based on circumstantial evidence is sustainable if the evidence leads only to the conclusion of the accused’s guilt, and any failure by the accused to explain such incriminating circumstances may be considered in law. Reliance was