A 32-year-old woman described by friends as “kind, warm and cherished by so many” has been killed by her ex-husband in a brutal attack that has shocked the community.
Nirodha Niwunhella, originally from Sri Lanka, had been building a new life in the United Kingdom after separating from her husband, Thisara Weragalage. Instead, her future was cut short in an act of violence driven by jealousy and control.
Nirodha married Weragalage in 2017 in Sri Lanka, and the couple relocated to the UK in 2022. To outsiders, they appeared to be an ordinary couple starting fresh abroad. But behind closed doors, tensions were escalating.
A former housemate later told investigators that he frequently heard heated arguments from their room — often centered around the name “James.” James Stephenson, a colleague of Nirodha’s, had become a confidant. She had disclosed to him that her husband had physically assaulted her and repeatedly accused her of infidelity.
According to evidence presented in court, Weragalage grew increasingly controlling. He allegedly told his wife not to socialize with people he did not know, monitored her movements, and even instructed her not to take her phone to work. Prosecutors described a pattern of coercive and possessive behavior.
Eventually, Nirodha found the courage to leave the marriage. But the separation did not end the harassment.
Messages shown in court revealed Weragalage pleading with her to return. In one text, he wrote: “We moved to this country to make everything better but it’s all gone wrong.” He even attempted to involve her father in persuading her to reconcile.
By then, however, Nirodha had moved on. She had begun a relationship with Stephenson, who later described her as “the kindest and most caring person that anyone who knew her ever met.” She had plans to take him to Sri Lanka to meet her parents and hoped one day to become a mother.
Prosecutors said Weragalage could not accept the end of the marriage. Consumed by jealousy, he planned the attack.
Four months after she moved out, Nirodha was found fatally stabbed between two parked cars by a member of the public. After carrying out the attack, Weragalage ran into the path of a lorry.
In court, the killing was described as deliberate and fueled by possessiveness. Today, he has been sentenced for her murder.
Nirodha’s family and friends have paid tribute to a woman whose life was defined by compassion and promise — a future that was cruelly stolen.
She was 32.
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