News

Four wasted journeys by Scot to clear his name in Malaka case

27 Oct, 2017

A Scot facing trial over a club brawl in Sri Lanka involving Malaka Silva, has spent ?15,000 fighting to clear his name.

James Casserly, from Shotts, Lanarkshire, flew 5000 miles to see his case adjourned for a fourth time by a court in Sri Lanka this week, Daily Record reported.

The 45-year-old was hailed a hero after defending girlfriend Belinda McKenzie during a run-in with Malaka Silva, the playboy son of a senior politician in a Colombo nightclub in 2014.

The engineer claims he punched Silva in the face in self-defence after he groped Belinda and hit her twice.

Silva was arrested along with six other suspects. But James has been forced to return to Sri Lanka three times at his own expense after Silva pressed charges against him.

The case was delayed again this week at Colombo chief magistrate?s court because prosecutors are probing claims that Silva had flouted a nightclub ban enforced at the time of the brawl.

James said: ?Every time I come here it costs ?1500 and I have to pay everything myself. I can?t afford to keep coming here.? (Colombo Gazette)

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