Royal Park murder case:

Yvonne was strangled to death, says JMO

YVONNE Jonnson was strangled to death with the leggings she was wearing as a ligature, said Dr. M.P.A.B. Abeysinghe, Acting Additional JMO of Colombo.

Dr. Abeysinghe was testing before High Court Judge I.M. Abeyratne as the post-mortem into the death of Jonnson at Royal Park residencies, Welikada.

The Royal Park murder case is the first to be sent before a High Court by direct indictment of the accused.

The Attorney General in consideration of the circumstances by which Jonnson was killed and the evidence by her sister Caroline considering presentations by the deceased's family decided this was an appropriate murder where a direct indictment should be forwarded as there was aggravating circumstances in connection with creating public disquiet in connection with the commission of the offence.

A housemaid and a security officer who testified said Jonnson's body was found on the 19th floor of the Royal Park Apartment and a woman who saw the body was shocked and fell and rolled three floors down to the 16th floor.

Deputy Solicitor General Jayantha Jayasuriya led evidence. The JMO described injuries on the head and face.

Q: Can you describe the body as you saw at the examination?

A: Well nourished, slim, fair skinned girl. Clad in leopard print leggings, which was pulled down from the waist and taken behind the body and present in front of the neck as a ligature. All garments were badly disturbed, soaked with blood and dried.

Q: Any special marks on the clothes? - Crushed with blood, the leggings had some tears.

Q: What were the tears on the clothes? - Tears in the leggings in the middle corresponds to genital region and left leg in the knee region.

Dr. Abesinghe described over 40 injuries on the body. He described multiple injuries over the front of the neck externally and internally. There were two major skull fractures and multiple injuries on the face, upper limb, and lower limbs as well.

Q: Genital region? - No fresh injuries.

Q: Was she raped? - No.

Q: Can you say how the death has occurred? - She has been strangled to death by using the leggings as a ligature.

Q: Can you describe how these injuries on her body occurred? - It has been caused by great force used, by a blunt object.

Q: Can it be caused by knocking on a wall or a corner projecting from the wall, cement stair case? - The injuries are not consistent with the head being knocked against a flat surface but a projection or a corner of a wall with force.

Blood, urine, bile and stomach contents has been sent to the Government Analyst for toxicological analysis. Blood, hair and secretions has been sent for DNA analysis. The defence did not cross examine this witness. Dr. Abesinghe was the only witness summoned. The next date is February 7.

Daya Perera P.C. with A.L.M. Ameen P.C. and Mohan Peiris P.C. with Anuja Premaratne and Sampath Soyza appeared for the accused Shramantha Jayamaha.

Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, Waruna Dassanayake and Inoka Gamage instructed by Vijitha Wickramasekara appeared on behalf of the interests of the deceased's relatives.

Jayantha Jayasuriya, Deputy Solicitor General with Haripriya Jayasundara, Senior State Counsel appeared for the Attorney-General.