A clearer picture emerged Thursday of the two families torn apart by the “stupefying, monstrous, even demonic” slaying of four young children, their mother, and a close family friend in Ottawa last year.
It’s a picture many Canadians, permanent residents and hopeful immigration applicants can relate to: the dream of a better life in this country, and the sacrifices that are often required to make it possible.
Public attention since the attack on March 6, 2024, has mainly focused on the Wickramasinghes. The unprovoked slaughter of almost their entire family shocked and stoked outrage across the city, the country and beyond.
But the Amarakoons also endured a great loss, and Thursday helped the community better understand its extent.
Gamani Amarakoon’s widow, Dishani Fernando, could barely keep herself together as she read her highly emotional victim impact statement in court via video link from Sri Lanka.
“My husband carried our family. He worked tirelessly for me, for our daughters, for his paralyzed mother who passed away earlier this year, and for his unmarried and unemployed sister, whom he supported after losing his own father as a boy,” Fernando said.
“He gave everything to us — his time, his energy, his dreams — and his loss has left us not only heartbroken, but also vulnerable and adrift.”
His eldest daughter, 13-year-old Asheri Amarakoon, wrote that her dad “was my hero, my best friend, and my biggest supporter. He was always there to motivate me, to help me with my studies, and to cheer me on in everything I did.
“He never missed a day dropping me off or picking me up from school, no matter how busy he was. We laughed and talked about my day all the way home every day…. It hurts knowing he will not see me grow up, attend my school events, or guide me through life.”
On behalf of his three-year-old daughter Kaylee Amarakoon, the family wrote that “her dad was very loving — he bathed her, fed her, played with her, comforted her. He was part of her every day…. She will one day realize that she was robbed of her father’s love, his laughter, his guiding hand. She will never feel his embrace again, never hear his voice calling her name, never experience his presence at the milestones that should have been shared with him.
“He was not only a loving parent but also our family’s provider, ensuring that Kaylee and her sister would have every opportunity in life…. The steps he took to go abroad and build a better life for us, all his sacrifices and hard work, were destroyed in a matter of seconds.”
Dhanushka Wickramasinghe — the widower who lost his partner, his three daughters and eldest son, and his best friend — told court in his victim impact statement that leaving Sri Lanka and his parents back in 2021 was “the hardest decision of his life,” but his dream was to build a better one for his children.
“I chose Canada over many other countries because I heard that this country is full of opportunities, kindness, and beauty. The moment I arrived, I fell in love with Canada and felt I had made the right choice for my family,” he said.
“I worked hard every single day for them. I worked in restaurants, drove Uber, and studied at the same time. I slept very little for two years, saving money to bring my family here. After I graduated with a postgraduate diploma in marketing in 2021, I started my own small business — a cleaning company called Ottogeek. I built it from nothing with my own hands, working day and night.”
In addition to the unfathomable loss of his wife and children, and losing his home, business and income, he spoke of the six stabbings he endured, of losing part of his right hand and the mobility in a finger, of nerve damage, surgeries and numbness.
But he spent more time thanking those who have helped him since, and about The Abhises Foundation he started, named after his late seven-year-old son Inuka, which supports school children in Sri Lanka.
“On each of my children’s birthdays, we donate school supplies to children in need. Up to now, we have completed six donations, and I will continue to do this for the rest of my life. Helping others gives me a small piece of peace,” Wickramasinghe told court.
The judge was struck by it.
“The fact that you so devote yourself to others after all that has been taken from you, sir, is awe-inspiring. I am humbled by your presence,” Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips said.
“It occurs to me that a family endowed with your value system would have enriched our community, and we are all accordingly diminished by the loss of Inuka, Ashwini, Ranaya, Kelly, and of course your life partner, Darshani.”
Outside the courthouse, with justice served and Febrio De Zoysa headed to prison, the focus shifted to Wickramasinghe’s desire to remain in Canada.
His immigration lawyer Ronalee Carey told reporters that Wickramasinghe’s permanent residency application on humanitarian and compassionate grounds has been approved in principle and continues to be processed, but his brother and father have had no word on their applications.
Both rushed to Canada to care for Wickramasinghe after the murders — his brother Chelaka so quickly that he didn’t have time to renew his passport before leaving. He had been granted a temporary work permit in Canada, but it expired when his passport expired, Carey said.
“[Chelaka Wickramasinghe] has applied to renew his work permit. That application has been pending since April. He’s been unable to work because the immigration department has not yet processed the application. It took almost seven months for them to acknowledge receipt of that application,” Carey said.
“So our ask today is that the applications be processed so that he can work and send money home to his wife and his daughter, and that eventually his wife and his daughter be allowed to join him in Canada.”
