Gunapolasingam Benet Jerome vs. The Attorney General – CA HCC/255/17-2023

In The Attorney General v. Gunapolasingam Benet Jerome, the court addressed whether the circumstantial evidence presented was sufficient to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the Accused, Gunapolasingam Benet Jerome, committed the murder of Vetharasa Lily Mary. It was held that the available evidence did not conclusively and exclusively establish the guilt of the Accused, resulting in the acquittal of the Accused. The principle reaffirmed is that circumstantial evidence must form a consistent chain pointing only to the guilt of the accused, without any other reasonable hypothesis. Reference was made to established authorities on circumstantial evidence, emphasizing the necessity for a high degree of proof in serious criminal cases.

B. Sasi Mahendran J. — Upon a comprehensive assessment o