A 50-year-old man convicted of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault has been sentenced in absentia to 12 years and four months imprisonment.
He was sentenced by Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe in the last hour.
He raped a 15-year-old girl in Valelevu on July 24th 2016.
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He was not present in court when he was sentenced as he had escaped from court during a break on the first day of his trial.
A bench warrant has been issued today and his sentence will come into effect from the day he is arrested.
He will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years and four months imprisonment.
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