Samarakkody Arachchilage Gamini Weerasinghe alias Yakada Gamini and others Vs. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC 226-228/19-2025

The case involved an appeal against conviction and death sentence for murder. The prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence, including a dying declaration. Critically assessed were the admissibility of the dying declaration, the reliability of witness testimonies, and the impact of omissions in witness statements. The convictions and sentences for the first two Appellants were affirmed, while the third Appellant was acquitted due to reasonable doubt.

P. Kumararatnam, J. delivered the judgment outlining the case against the Accused-Appellants for murder following a non-jury trial that resulted in a conviction and death sentence. The appeal, heard with the Appellants’ consent in their absence, addressed grounds raised jointly due to their interconnectedness. Legal precedents concernin