Battaramulla Gamage Don Nandana Padmasiri Vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 0239/2024-2025

In the matter of the Battaramulla Gamage Don Nandana Padmasiri Vs The Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed the issues of grave sexual abuse and the appellate court’s review of trial judge findings. The court held that the conviction and sentence were affirmed, dismissing the appeal. This decision reaffirmed the principle that appellate courts should defer to trial judge credibility assessments unless manifestly wrong and that minor inconsistencies do not necessarily undermine a victim’s testimony. The case relied on legal precedents concerning the treatment of contradictions in evidence and the credibility of child witnesses, emphasizing that proper procedure must be followed when asserting contradictions.

Pradeep Hettiarachchi, J. – The appeal was dismissed, and the conviction an