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Inconsolable parents remember promising youngest son brutally killed in Britain
View(s):It was that fateful day, Sunday, October 27, as Thavisha Lakindu Peiris, a loving son and a brilliant student with an ambition to be an IT consultant, was brutally stabbed to death and left to die inside a car parked on the streets of South Yorkshire, UK.
As the investigations continue, his parents, relatives and friends were grieving his death at their home in Nawala, Rajagiriya.
“He was the youngest in our family and loved by everybody. He was so lively, thoughtful and a devout Buddhist. He regularly gave alms and in fact, held an almsgiving at home the last time he visited us 11 months ago,” said his mother Vajira Narangoda, as she took a deep breath and looked on.
The victim: Thavisha Lakindu Peiris
His father Sarath Peiris continued, “He had so many friends, some would call him a social butterfly. One would be amazed looking at his facebook profile. In the UK, he shared an apartment with five other Sri Lankans.” “I will never forget the last time he spoke to us over the phone on October 25, it was my birthday. He had preordered a cake for me and sounded happy as he wished me a happy birthday.”
“His one wish was to take us to the UK and show us around, he also wanted to take us to Thailand too, always wanting to put a smile on our faces,” Mr Peiris said. His mother, wiping a tear from her eyes said, “His birthday was a couple of weeks ago, October 14 to be exact. His friends brought him gifts and treated him to a cake. Little did we all know that would be the last birthday he would ever celebrate.”
Recalling the past, she went on to relate, “He schooled at President’s College Kotte. His teachers tell us that he was a bright and obedient student.” “He was an all-rounder. A school prefect in his senior year, and was also involved in the interact club of the school. He was a member of the school swimming team,” she said.
“He followed a Degree programme in IT at Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe, and was selected to Sheffield Hallam University in the UK to complete his final year.” “He graduated in 2012 and intented to complete his MBA as well,” said Mrs Narangoda.
Thavisha was issued a work permit in the UK and was employed at Dominos Pizza. “He had a good relationship with his manager at Dominos Pizza, which surprised many, for the manager was known to be stern. He showed us so many images on Skype of him and his manager together.”
“The manger called us after the incident and blamed himself for Thavisha’s death. If only I had not asked him to go on that final delivery, he would be with us right now, the manager had said.” “Thavisha had handed in his resignation a few weeks prior to the incident, and had finished his shift, when the manager had asked him to run this final delivery.”
“He was brutally stabbed four times and left to die in the very car used to deliver pizza. The officials said that the first stab was fatal. Curfew was declared around the surrounding area once the murder was discovered and Dominos immediately sealed.”
“The foreign authorities keep us constantly updated in this regard, and thus far a total of five arrests have been made, three were released and two suspects, ages 25 and 17, still remain in protective custody.”
Thus far the motive for the murder has yet to be determined. The parents said that they are trying their utmost to get their visas to fly over to the UK and bring the body to Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry has called for a report on the incident from Sri Lanka’s High Commission in the UK.
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