36-year-old Chamari Liyange killed her husband – Dinendra Athukorala at their home in Geraldton, Western Australia in June 2014.
A doctor by profession Chamari bludgeoned her sleeping husband to death with a mallet after years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.
HER HUSBAND FORCED HER TO HAVE AFFAIRS WITH OTHER PEOPLE
Dr. Liyange led dual lives. For friends and family, Liyange was happily married to Athukorala. But Liyange later told police that she acted normal to prevent her husband from abusing her behind closed doors.
Behind closed doors, Athukorala was never satisfied with his wife. He pushed her into having affairs with other men.
He spent lot of his time watching pornography, seducing young women, mostly teenagers. The Court was informed that Dr Athukorala had videos and images of children being sexually abused on his computers and laptops.
The abuse didn’t end there. Liyange pointed out several objects in the house that were used to hit her.
Liyange also told police and court that her husband had listed her on pornography websites, wouldn’t allow her to sleep at night to have sex and he often streamed these acts online to strangers.
Chamari Liyange, fed up of her husband, had tried to leave her husband six times. She also tried to kill herself a number of times.
Unable to do either, she decided to kill him.
LIYANGE CALLED POLICE AFTER KILLING HER HUSBAND
On June 24, 2014, Liyange called 000 at 6.30 am.
Police officers arrived on the scene and saw her crouching on the sofa. Dr. Athukorala’s body was found in the bedroom surrounded by blood.
Liynage had killed her husband in sleep with a mallet.
COURT FINDS HER NOT GUILTY
The Supreme Court acquitted her of murder this week. The jury deliberated for seven hours before sentencing Liyange to four years' jail for his manslaughter.
In sentencing, Justice Stephen Hall said it was likely Liyanage knew what she was doing.
"It must have been multiple blows to the temple area, as you are a doctor would have known is a vulnerable area of anatomy," he said.
"Apart from this offence you have been it would seem of exemplary character," he said.
"You are not a person at risk of reoffending. Dinendra Athukorala was a manipulative and merciless offender. However, [his death] was not justified, you went too far," he said.
"Human life is sacred, that cannot be taken even in the most apparently deserving of circumstances."
Following the verdict defence lawyer George Guidice called for the law to be reformed in relation to women in domestic violence situations. "There are good reasons that women do not leave abusive relationships," he said speaking to the media.
"The prosecution says she could have simply walked out the door. But of course it's not as simple as that and this is the situation women find themselves in," he added.
Meanwhile, with time already served, Liyanage will be eligible for parole in July.
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