Wife kills husband in a fit of rage

by Ananda Agalakada

Marriage is said to be a hallowed institution meant to be nurtured and valued but now newspapers are full of bizarre stories of husbands killing wives or vice versa.

It was a warm morning when Aluthoya Weerasinghe married Nadeesha Samanmalee. It was not love at first sight for the two of them but all the same they married and life was going on as usual for the two of them. Although there were many differences Nadeesha ignored all of them and carried on regardless and they became parents to two lovely children. A four-year-old son and an eight- month-old daughter.

Weerasinghe was however addicted to the bottle and hit the bottle at the slightest opportunity.

He could not get rid of the habit. As time went by the bottle became his best friend. Although he did not have a comfortable place to sleep, no regular meals for the day or not even a proper clothes to wear, he continued to drink. Begging and borrowing from all and sundry he continued with this habit.

Nadeesha was an innocent woman and could nothing to prevent her husband from hitting the bottle and he began to keep the company of other men in the area who were also addicted to liquor. Weerasinghe met his wife Nadeesha unexpectedly and she married him with a lot of expectations.

But her joy did not last long. She faced numerous difficulties due to the behaviour of her drunken husband. Apart from economic and emotional problems she was also faced with physical abuse from her husband as he often turned violent after a few shots and came at her with like a ferocious lion.

Her patience and tolerance had run out long ago. Twenty-nine-year-old Nadeesha had been living in Habarana for a long time. No one knew from where and how she came to Habarana and who her relatives or family members were. Nadeesha lived with great difficulty because on many days she and her children had to go hungry.

There was nothing for them to eat because Weerasinghe was unemployed and didn't even bother about his wife and children. Even under these trying circumstances, the villagers loved her because she was an active and sociable woman. She never hesitated to help people or engage in welfare activities in the village.

Nadeesha loved her son and daughter very much. She always strove hard to take care of her children and took care of them to the best of her ability. She engaged in odd jobs in the village to fend for her children. Although she did not earn much, it was something better than nothing in the situation she was.

It was physically demanding but she did not mind as her thoughts were with her children.

Her desire for a bright future for her children and even her husband was defeated with Westinghouse’s brutish behaviour. He was at most times under the influence of liquor. Her husband was going in the wrong track and nothing that Nadeesha did could get him on the correct path.

As time went by Weerasinghe began drinking more and more. He also began spending his time with undesirable elements in the area. Soon he became not only an alcoholic but a village thug as well.

Nadeesha tried to persuade him to give up the bottle and the bad company he was keeping but it was to no avail.

This resulted in him falling prey to gambling, smoking, drinking and even thuggery. He was not interested in the welfare of his family and left them to fend for themselves.

While Nadeesha was trying to earn her daily bread by engaging in casual labour in the village Weerasinghe was thinking how to get some hooch for his consumption. Nadeesha was disillusioned with her husband’s behaviour.

She was suffering because of his drunken behaviour. As time went by she was afraid for herself and her family as Weerasinghe became increasingly violent. At times she was mercilessly beaten by him.

It was in this backdrop that she began hiding whenever Weerasinghe returned home after his tryst with his friends until he fell asleep to escape from his assaults.

On that fateful day too Weerasinghe had left his wattle and daub hut as usual. Nadeesha was at home pondering her sad plight.

She approached her son and daughter and kissed them before going to sleep. She knew Weerasinghe would be late as usual and will come home at the dead of night.

As she was wont to do she decided to hide to avoid from the merciless assaults of her drunken husband on that day as well.

There was a thick shrub behind the small hut where they lived. She crept behind a bush as soon as her husband came to their home. Weerasinghe checked the four corners of the house but could not find Nadeesha.

After giving up the search as he was overcome with alcohol, Weerasinghe decided to sleep on the mat with his children.

Nadeesha lay behind the bush but was overcome with emotion. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. She thought about her plight. She could not think of a bright future for her and her children with this drunk of a husband.

She thought to herself that could not take this harassment any longer. She took a decision and returned home from the jungle and stealthily crept to where Weerasinghe was sleeping.

He began muttering in a drunken stupor. She then summoned enough courage, although her heart was thumping and her hands were shaking, she picked up the axe which was in the kitchen.

She then aimed the axe at Weerasinghe's head. Several blows fell on him and Weerasinghe's drunken mutterings stopped. She thought after this he will never open his mouth again or lay his hands on me. She was relieved in a way but the guilt of murdering her husband was heavy on her and Nadeesha rushed to the Hatharaskotuwa police station in Habarana with her two children and confessed to the police about what she did to her husband.

After Nadeesha's complaint a police team rushed to the scene and saw Weerasinghe's body lying in a pool of blood.

The OIC of the Hatharaskotuwa police station IP Thilakaratne and a police team are conducting investigations.