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Resident tutor at late Justice de Abrew’s house recounts his last moments
View(s):By Dayaratne Pathirane
A tuition teacher residing in the late Supreme Court Justice Sarath De Abrew’s house, recounted the late Justice’s last moments alive, before he fell to his death from the balcony of his residence in Attidiya Road, Ratmalana. She told the Magisterial inquiry into his death that, she heard the former Judge shouting at his daughter and the servant, but did not pay heed to what was being said, as it was a regular occurrence in that household.
Shortly afterwards, she had seen him falling from the balcony, the tutor Ms L.R. Nishadi 36, who had been living in the house for nearly five months to tutor the late Judge’s daughter, told Mt Lavinia Magistrate, Mohammed Sahabdeen.
“There were five inmates in the house, including her. The late Judge, his wife, daughter and a servant were the other residents,” she said.
She recalled that, on August 15, the day of the incident, she had accompanied the Judge’s wife for native medical treatment at a temple in Moratuwa, and returned home around 10.30 am. When they came in, she had heard Justice De Abrew shouting at his daughter and later, at the servant. “It was common to hear this kind of shouting in this house,” she said.
Later, Ms Nishadi had gone to her room upstairs for a change of clothes, during which time the shouting continued. “Suddenly I saw his falling body. I rushed to the balcony and saw the judge fallen on the ground. I rushed downstairs, but as the door was locked, I could not go out. I rushed to the judge’s room and brought the key and opened the main door. He appeared unconscious. There was blood oozing from his body. I managed to stop a three-wheeler and, with the assistance of a few passersby, he was put inside and taken to hospital. I felt faint there and was given saline. Later, I learnt he had passed away,” she said.
The Magistrate directed the Government Analyst’s report be submitted to Court on September 5 .