De-Zoysa Makes Brief Court Appearance, Due Back April 18
Accused killer De-Zoysa makes brief virtual court appearance with audio link
Febrio De-Zoysa made a brief, virtual appearance in court on the afternoon of Thurs., March 28.
De-Zoysa, the 19-year-old who is accused of killing six people, was connected from the Ottawa Detention Centre with an audio link only and no video.
Not much was said by De-Zoysa, as he could only be heard stating his name, birth date and the confirmation of his next court appearance.
De-Zoysa is facing charges of six counts of first degree murder and one charge of attempted murder for the March 6 slaying of six people whom he lived with in a two-storey townhouse on Berrigan Drive in Barrhaven.
Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs said last month that the victims were killed with a knife-like object.
“I can comment that he’s in protective custody,” said Ewan Lyttle to reporters. “He’s doing okay.” Lyttle is representing De-Zoysa.
Killed in the attacks were Barrhaven residents Darshani Dilanthika Ekanayake, 35 and her four children” her seven-year-old son Inuka Wickramasinghe; her four-year-old daughter Ashwini Wickramasinghe; her three-year-old daughter Ranaya Wickramasinghe; and her two-month old daughter Kelly Wickramasinghe. They were all Sri Lankan nationals with the exception of Kelly, who was born in Canada earlier this year. Also killed was 40-year-old Amarakoon Mudiyanselage, a friend of the Wickremasinghe family who was also living with them. Mudiyanselage had a wife and two children living in Sri Lanka.
The lone survivor of the attack was Ekanayake’s husband and the father of the four children, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe. He was seriously injured in the attack.
Dhanushka Wickramasinghe and De-Zoysa met while they were students at Algonquin College. Wickramasinghe’s family was still in Sri Lanka at the time. He invited De-Zoysa to come and live with them when his family arrived from Sri Lanka. De-Zoysa lived in the basement of the townhouse rent free.
De-Zoysa has been ordered not to have contact with five people, including Dhanushka Wickramasinghe.
Judicial pre-trial is scheduled for April 17, and De-Zoysa is scheduled to appear in court April 18.
