The Court of Appeal today fixed for support on September 15, the appeal filed by the Attorney General against the sentences imposed on the convicts of British aid worker Khuram Sheikh’s murder saying they were not sufficient.
The bench comprised Appeal Justices Deepali Wijesundara and Lalith Jayasuriya.
Four convicts; former Tangalle Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Sampath Chandrapushpa Vidanapathirana, Lahiru Kalum, Saman Deshapriya and Prageeth Chaturanga who were found guilty of killing British tourist Khuram Shaikh in December 2011 and for raping and brutally assaulting his fiancée while holidaying at the tourist resort of Tangalle were sentenced by the Colombo High Court.
While requesting to amend the punishments given to the convicts the AG also suggested that these convicts should be given death sentence or life imprisonment as they committed the murder using weapons as members of an unlawful assembly.
Through this appeal, the Attorney General maintained that the sentences imposed on the convicts of British aid worker Khuram Sheikh’s murder were not sufficient.
The petition also noted that the Judge had reiterated that fourth accused in the unlawful assembly had used a firearm and that in cases of unlawful assembly an offence committed by one applies to all in the group. Counsel Darshana Kuruppu appeared for the accused.