SRI LANKA. MINISTER'S WIFE AND THREE OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH

N. Mary Juliet Monica Fernando, wife of Christian and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Milroy Fernando and three other accused were sentenced to death in Sri Lanka by Colombo High Court judge Upali Abeyaratne after a jury turned in a guilty verdict in the murders of Milroy Fernando's mistress Charlotte Teresa and her domestic aide, Susanhewage Tecklin Seelawathie.
The seven-member jury returned a 6-1 guilty verdict after deliberating for over four hours. The judges summing up to the jury took over three days, comprising 18 hours. The killings took pace on on January 3, 1992. The four accused were earlier sentenced to death by the Chilaw High Court Judge Mahanama Tillekeratne in 1996. They appealed against the High Court Judgement to the Court of Appeal which ordered a re trial.