The Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence imposed by the Colombo High Court on a painter convicted of the murder of journalist Melissa Gunasekera.

The order was passed by a bench of Justices Sampath Abeykoon and P. Kumaran Ratnam.

Arulananda Anthony Ramson George, a painter, was indicted by the Attorney General in the Colombo H, high Court on February 2, 2014 on charges of trespassing, robbing and stabbing to death at her residence in Subhuthipura, Battaramulla.

Defendant later appealed to the Court of Appeal, seeking his acquittal and release. The Court of Appeal ordered the dismissal of the appeal of the accused, ruling that the Colombo High Court Judge had followed due process in pronouncing the sentence.