‘Jealous’ Man Murdered Estranged Wife after She Dated Co-Worker

Thisara Weragalage has been jailed for life after stabbing his estranged wife to death in a Cardiff car park when she began a relationship with a colleague.

Niwunhellage Dona Nirodha Kalapni Niwunhella, known as Nirodha, died at the scene at South Morgan Place in Riverside on August 21, 2025.

Weragalage had been separated from her for months. He initially denied murder but later pleaded guilty at Newport Crown Court in January.

He was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, where Judge Daniel Williams said his “brutal selfishness” had cut her life short.

Weragalage went to the residential car park on the morning of the attack knowing Nirodha would be there.

She was attacked with a 15cm kitchen knife and suffered catastrophic injuries to her face, neck, chest, arm and leg. She died at the scene between two parked cars.

Witnesses, including a man walking his dog, saw Weragalage drive away at speed in a Ford Fiesta. They raised the alarm after finding Nirodha lying motionless nearby with severe injuries.

A short time later, a lorry driver spotted Weragalage on a pavement in Tremorfa in an agitated state. He threw himself in front of the rear wheels of the vehicle.

His injuries were not serious. Police and paramedics were called and he was later arrested on suspicion of murder.

He was detained under the Mental Health Act. Officers found bloodied builder’s gloves in the passenger footwell of his car along with an opened pack of knives.

After his arrest, Weragalage told detectives his wife had “escaped” him and was “living with another”.

He claimed the knives were bought to “scare” her and said he could not remember how her injuries had happened.

The couple married in Sri Lanka in 2017 after meeting through a mutual friend.

They moved to Cardiff in 2022, where Weragalage said he had contacts. However, a business job in the UK did not materialise for Nirodha and she began working in a care home instead.

By then, the marriage had deteriorated. Nirodha told colleague James Stephenson that her husband hit her and that they were also having sexual problems.

The court heard she became increasingly close to Mr Stephenson. When Weragalage learned of their closeness, he became “obsessed” and began spying on them at the care home.

When challenged about being violent, he said her behaviour had caused him “to raise his hand”.

Mr Stephenson became fearful for his and Nirodha’s safety and ended the relationship.

By April 2025, the couple had moved out of their shared home and were living separately.

Weragalage made 15 calls to her father in Sri Lanka and sent messages to Mr Stephenson saying he wanted to “reverse everything that has happened in the last two years”.

Mr Stephenson later rekindled his relationship with Nirodha. She texted a friend saying her estranged husband was threatening her.

She wrote: “He’s going to kill James and he’s going to kill me.”

Prosecutor Michael Jones KC told the court the killing was planned and premeditated, involving sustained and excessive violence.

He said: “The prosecution case is that such was the ferocity of the attack on her that the knife broke during the assault.”

Andrew Taylor KC, defending, described the case as involving two “bright, ambitious and educated people”.

He said Weragalage was “obsessed” with his wife and became “overtaken with jealousy” after discovering she was becoming increasingly affectionate with a colleague.

He added: “He could not contemplate a life without her.”

Sentencing him, Judge Williams said Nirodha had “no chance” of surviving the attack.

Detective Inspector Graham Williams, of South Wales Police, said Nirodha was “much loved by her family and friends, and her life was ended by her jealous and cowardly former partner”.

Emma Davies, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Weragalage “planned his attack, visiting the area several times leading up to it and buying the murder weapon”.

She said:

“His premeditation was a significant factor in this shocking killing.”

Davies added that the CPS is working closely with police to build strong cases against those who commit violence against women and girls, ensuring “more victims of these abhorrent and devastating crimes receive the justice they deserve”.

In a tribute issued after her death, Nirodha’s family described her as a “cherished daughter, family member and dear friend to many”.

They said: “Nirodha will be forever remembered with peace, love and gratitude.

“She touched many lives with her kindness and warmth and her memory will continue to inspire us. Though her life ended too soon, the love she shared will always remain with us.”