• The accused was fined Rs. 10,000 and ordered to pay Rs.50,000 as compensation to the aggrieved party

By Mahesh Keerthiratne   

 An 82-year-old person who was convicted of sexually abusing his ten-year-old granddaughter was sentenced to 15 years rigorous imprisonment by Predecessor High Court Judge Sumudu Premachandra. The accused David Hettiarachchi was a resident of Yapagama in Dambulla.   

The judge held that he considered the accused as advanced in age and sentenced in mitigation. He fined the accused for Rs. 10,000 and ordered to pay Rs.50,000 as compensation to the aggrieved party. He was sentenced to further six months simple imprisonment in default of the fine and one year simple imprisonment in default of the payment of compensation.   

State Counsel Oswald Perera prosecuted while Dambulla police gave evidence for the prosecution.