A Sri Lankan national, who murdered his mistress while his wife was abroad on holiday, has been sentenced to death in Bahrain.

Henry Josten De Silva, killed Prilica Kumari, 45, after he accused her of being unfaithful, according to prosecutors.

The Sri Lankan victim had told her friends, hours before she was murdered on March 1, 2012, that the 39-year-old hacked into her Facebook account because he suspected her of having an affair with another man.

That same day, the defendant offered to take the woman home from work, where he beat her and strangled her using his bare hands.

He then carried her dead body into the kitchen, turned on the gas and lit a candle to make it look like she died in a blaze.

However, he failed to set the apartment alight because neighbours alerted authorities about the strong stench of gas.

‘Investigations revealed that the defendant and the victim were in a relationship and he stole a land belonging to her in Sri Lanka,’ read court verdict documents.

‘According to prosecution witnesses, the defendant travelled to Sri Lanka with his wife and children but returned to Bahrain on his own and stayed with the victim.

‘Their relationship took a turn for the worse when he learnt that the victim was in a relationship with another man.

‘They started to argue about the issue and he threatened he was going to leave Bahrain if she did not break up with her new lover.

‘The defendant then planned to murder the victim before picking her up from work. He beat her and struck her on the head before strangling her with his bare hands.

‘He then set part of her clothes on fire using a candle after turning on the stove to make it look like she died in a blaze.

‘However, he failed to set the apartment ablaze when neighbours reported smelling gas.’

Ms Kumari, who worked as a maid in an apartment building in the Seef District, died of suffocation, according to a medical examiner’s report.

Her friend told prosecutors that the victim confided in her about her boyfriend’s suspicions hours before she was killed.

‘She came to me at work and said she was in a relationship with a married man who suspected her of cheating on him,’ the Indian maid said in her statement to the Public Prosecution.

‘She told me that he hacked into her Facebook account. She seemed worried.’

It is understood that the defendant, who worked for a pest control company, has fled the country and the High Criminal Court yesterday sentenced him to death in absentia.

Source: Gulf Daily News