Seya Sandewmi's murder -- Updates 24

Didn't think of killing child ....

later killed her because she bit my face!

-- Saman had said

In the event where the DNA evidence of the suspect known as Saman Jayalath who is supposed to have abused and brutally murdered the child Seya Sandewmi having tallied, it was confirmed at Minuwangoda Courts that it is he who committed this murder.

Saman Jayalath was not produced in courts yesterday and by now he as well as his brother Kondaya are both in remand custody. While there is the belief that Saman Jayalath would be convicted at the next hearing which is on the 19th, the punishment meted out to him would be decided on that day. Saman Jayalath who was initially apprehended by the Criminal Investigation Department during the period the murder took place and investigations were carried out is not only involved in the offence of giving false evidence and due to this reason his brother too became involved in this issue. Saman therefore is also liable to undergo punishment for having given false evidence.

Saman who is alleged to have been someone who had been behind bars for over 6 years because of various offences had also entered twice into marriage and is a father of 1 child. But he is not someone who lives the life of a married man. The constant and common offences he used to engage in was keep gazing at women and commit acts of abuse by threatening with a knife, during night hours. Most of these cases have not come into records; but though he has been jailed in instances where he was caught in such acts, he is not the type who has reformed and given up such activities.

In his confession in connection with the abuse and murder of Seya what he had expressed was that though he abused the girl, he had no predetermined thoughts of killing her. On the night that Seya was subjected to murder, Saman had been walking around Badalgama village peeping into houses when he had seen lights burning in a room of Seya's house and had gone there and on opening a window had noticed the child's mother sleeping. Later, he had entered through a window with the intention of committing the offence on Seya's mother. Though in his customary way he had planned to place the knife on her neck and frighten her and then rape her and had walked about the house; but was unable to find a knife and therefore had dropped the idea and subsequently thought of taking the child away and had thus taken steps to commit the said offence on the small girl.

Saman who took Seya had gone out of the window and had proceeded towards a thicket and after sexually abusing the girl has had thoughts of leaving her like that but had taken measures to kill her owing to some other reason, he had told the police. At the time he was engaged in abusing her the girl had struggled here and there to escape his grip and had in the rush bitten his face and tried to get away. Saman had told the police that he had got into a rage because the girl had bitten his face. It was because of this reason that Saman Jayalath had taken measures to strangle the girl and kill her. Subsequently the suspect had thrown the dead body of the girl into the nearby brook and had gone back home. Saman had told the police that because of the girl, his face was bruised.

The villagers remarked that this sinful character had even participated the following day in search operations of the girl whom he killed. When checking on those who left the village and those who avoided the funeral house and when he was being questioned with suspicion, a tip-off was given about his brother who had left the village. Though this tip-off was received, no tip-off was initially given about any relationship regarding the murder as such. After the Criminal Investigation Department took over investigations instead of Kotadeniyawa Police, the police began to sense sensitive clues about Saman Jayalath and then he had made a confession by vouching that Kondaya had been responsible for the murder of the girl. At that time what became a highlight was the story woven by Saman as the confession of Kondaya. In that story though Kondaya had crept in through the door of Seya's house; in the true story Saman had got in through a window.

The sentence to be passed in relation to Saman Jayalath's rape, homicide and leading the law astray by providing false evidence would be pronounced on next 19th.