Lankan found guilty of assaulting ex wife in UK

A Srilankan taxi driver was found guilty of assaulting and accusing his estranged wife of having an affair, a court in UK heard.

Suresh Chaminada De Alwis cast aspersions after looking at Facebook messages on Lisa Fisher's phone, Bristol Crown Court heard. He went on to assault her and make threats.

Judge Michael Longman told him that, as they were living separate lives albeit in the same home, the messages were none of his business. He was also told to abide by a two-year restraining order banning him from contact with Ms Fisher, other than via solicitor or social services.

De Alwis, 41, formerly of Abbey Court in St Annes Park but now living in Dalrymple Road, St Pauls, pleaded guilty to battery and affray. He was handed a 12 months' community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement for up to 40 days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

"You had no right to look at Lisa Fisher's Facebook account or become upset that she was living another life with friends of whom you may have disapproved or regretted. It was none of your business anymore." the judge said.

Julian Howells, prosecuting, said the pair formed a relationship and had a child before marrying in Sri Lanka in 2007. Mr Howells told the court that she indicated that the defendant became increasingly controlling, restricting where she went and her appearance. "He also made accusations about her fidelity."

The court heard the relationship ended in 2014, and De Alwis threatened either to return to Sri Lanka or kill himself. They continued to live in the same home, but in different rooms.

Mr Howells said in October last year Ms Fisher accepted sending "flirtatious" text messages to a man friend. When De Alwis returned home from work in the early hours he saw the phone charging in the kitchen and read the messages, the court heard.

Later that day, after accusing Ms Fisher of being unfaithful, he called her names and kicked her in the lower leg. Mr Howells said said it caused her pain. She thought his behaviour was strange, as if he had smoked cannabis. "He was making accusations of her sleeping around, which were untrue."

The next morning Ms Fisher came downstairs to find her husband had burned their wedding photos.

De Alwis, who was holding a knife, then threatened that he was going to kill someone and said he would get 10 to 15 years' jail.

He then left the house with the knife in his back pocket, before ringing her later in tears and saying he didn't want a re-occurrence of what happened.

The court heard De Alwis returned home later and, having had a drink, said he "knew notorious people" and made more threats about killing. Ms Fisher went to a neighbour's home and police were called.

When interviewed De Alwis told police he had received an abusive text from someone calling him "chicken". He said he had seen sexually provocative Facebook messages on his wife's phone.

He admitted making firm contact with his foot on his wife's leg , as well as burning the wedding pictures. (Bristol Post)