CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

SRILANKAN TAMIL, CAUGHT AND EXTRADITED FROM USA IS SENTENCED FOR LIFE AT THE OLD BAILEY

(By Walter Jayawardhana)

A Sri Lankan Tamil gang member in London, who killed a fellow Tamil in cold blood, fled to New York to be employed as IT officer, using a stolen passport, but he was extradited back to the United Kingdom, and sentenced for life after trial at the Old Bailey, Scotland Yard said.

Commenting about the man convicted after seven years from the day the gang member committed the crime Detective Inspector Andy Manning of the Scotland Yard said, that criminals “responsible are put before the courts no matter what the time delay or how far they run.”

In this case suspect Balagurubavan Bharakrishnabharthy was sentenced , November 3 , to life imprisonment , to serve a minimum of 15 years.

This is the third trial by the Old Bailey, on the murder of Aravinthan Muthukumaraswamy . Before this two other Sri Lankan Tamils, Sivageethan Punyamoorthy of Northolt, Middlesex in London and Senthamil Thillainathan of Wembley , London had been sentenced for life for the same murder.

Detective inspector Andy Manning further said, “The prosecution of Balakrishnabharthy demonstrates the Scotlandyard’s dedication to bring to justice those who are responsible for serious crime.”

In the trial it was revealed that when the police was unable to find the suspect in the UK , they discovered that the suspect had entered the USA on 30th October 2001 in Atlanta Georgia from Zurich, Switzerland using a stolen passport. He was extradited to the UK on 12th December 2007 after some legal wrangling. A day later he was charged for the murder.

After the verdict brother of the victims Sugathan Muthukumaraswamy said, “Consciousness is eternal . it is not vanquished with the destruction of the temporary body.”

During the trial it was revealed on Sunday 17th June 2001, a time when Tamil gangs were more freely roaming the London streets, five Sri lankan men were attacked as they sat in their Vauxhall Calibra in Ealing Road , Wembley. After playing cricket they had gone to buy some drinks and get a video.

A silver Audi pulled up with a number of occupants inside including BALAKHRISHNABHARTHY and they attacked the occupants of the Vauxhall Calibra with swords, axes and metal poles.

The rear middle passenger was struck twice across the top of the head with an axe and was pronounced dead later that night. He was Aravinthan Muthucumarasamy, aged 25 years old. The front seat passenger nearly had his hand severed and all the other occupants were seriously injured requiring extensive hospital treatment.

This was a bold attack carried out whilst it was still very light in front of many witnesses. Once the attack was over, the suspects escaped in their silver Audi, leaving their victims for dead. The emergency services were called and the five victims were conveyed to various hospitals across North West London. No weapons were ever recovered.

A murder investigation was launched and a number of arrests were made, eventually leading to two individuals being charged with the murder of Aravinthan Muthucumarasamy and attempted murder of four others. The two individuals charged were: Sivageethan PUNNIYAMOORTHY from Northolt and Senthamil THILLAINATHAN from Wembley.

A murder trial took place at the Old Bailey in October 2002 where PUNNIYAMOORTHY was convicted of the offences, but the jury were undecided as to the guilt of THILLAINATHAN and a retrial was ordered.

THILLAINATHAN was found guilty of the murder at a second trial in 2003.

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