The Attorney General vs Sandanam Pitchi Mary Theresa – SC APPEAL NO. 79/2008-2010

In the case between the Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo 12, and Sandanam Pitchi Mary Theresa, the court examined whether the Court of Appeal erred in evaluating evidence related to a conviction for possession of heroin with intent to supply. It was held that the cumulative evidence—including proximity of cash to heroin packets, scales, and weights—substantiated the prosecution’s case beyond reasonable doubt. The principle reaffirmed is that appellate courts must respect the trial court’s advantage in evaluating witness credibility and the weight of circumstantial evidence. The decision relied on established legal principles relating to evidentiary assessment and appellate review, underscoring that the High Court’s conviction and sentence should remain undisturbed w