Lankan Tamil’s hand partially severed in UK street attack, Court told

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

UK: A Sri Lankan Tamil man was left with his hand hanging from his arm exposing the bone in a Tamil gang attack that ravaged London Streets two years ago , the city’s Old Bailey courts was told in a criminal case heard last week.

The man from Jaffna who was to take part in a local cricket match, was left profusely bleeding with his hand nearly severed from his arm but still hanging, cut by a razor sharp Samurai sword by another Tamil man in one of the worst gang warfares that ever took place on London streets, the jury was told.

The man exposed constantly to the violent culture of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have divided themselves to urban gangs who make it a point to constantly clash with other Tamils in Tamil dominated areas in London, observers said.

Members of the “East Ham” Gang of the Tamils led by a man nick named “Psycho” ambushed their rivals known as the DMX gang armed with razor sharp Samurai swords, pickaxe handles, the prosecutor told courts.

As his rival attacked one of the victims Arumugam Arul Sebamalai ,23 , the gang members allegedly chanted, “Slash him Psycho, Kill him,” the court was told.

The prosecutor said Sebamalai was left with his hand nearly severed during the attack in Wembly, a suburb of London, where there is a dense population of Sri Lankan Tamils, on August 28,2006. Prosecutor Steven Perian addressing the court said: “There was a serious outbreak of violence between two Tamil gangs-one based in New Ham called the East Ham gang.”

Alleged members of the East Ham gang Sethurrajah Thanabalasingham, 21, from Ramford, Kirubausarasan Gunaratnam, 32, from Barking, Sebastian Sivaneswaran, 19, from Osborne RoadForest Gate, Santhos Panthaplavil Sashidaran, Sasidharan, 24, from Crawley, West Sussex, Edward Jag Nathan, 26, from Michem, Surrey and Kevin Gunarathnam, 18, of Burges Road East Ham, are accused of attempted murder, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and violent disorder.

Perian said the accused East Ham Gang at the time of the attack consisting of 20 to 25 members travelled in five cars. During that time , he said the victims were traveling in a single car. The victims’ car was being driven by Ashok Kumar Tharmarajah, along Brae Mar Avenue, Wembly en route to One Tree Hill. Acccording to the victims, the prosecutor said, that was where they were intending to play cricket.

He said the East Ham Gang got out of their vehicle, armed with pieces of wood and pickaxe handles, and started throwing things at Tharmarajah’s car. Tharmarajah and his friends got out of their car . “They armed themselves with cricket bats and wickets from within the boots of their car.”

The prosecutor said Arul recognised two members of the opposition group as Kiruba Gunaratnam and Psycho Thavabalasingham.

The jury heard that the East Ham Gang then started throwing bottles at the DMX Gang members and attacked Sebamalai with a sword. Sebamalai tried to defend himself with a cricket bat that he was holding, but he still received a deep cut to his left forearm, partially severing the arm and exposing the bone. He was also cut on his right arm, his hip, his back and sustained a fracture to his head.

The fight was eventually broken up when a police van travelling back from the Nottingham Carnival arrived on the scene.

Thevapalasingham was arrested at the scene, while Gunaratnam was arrested hiding in a nearby street, the court heard.

Other members of the East Ham Gang were arrested after a police search. It was alleged that Thavabalasingham later told his friends that he had bought two Samurai swords for 80 Pounds each and would have killed Sebamalai, in case the Police had not arrived at the scene. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial is continuing.