Wembley murderer jailed for life wins appeal to have minimum tariff reduced
Satheeskumar Arulananathan has had his minimum tariff court on appeal - Credit: Archant
A murderer handed a life sentence for his part in the “shocking” gang slaughter of a Wembley man has won a cut to his minimum jail term.
Satheeskumar Arulananathan, then 17, was one of four men who subjected their vulnerable teenage victim to “humiliation” and “gratuitous violence” before dumping his unrecognisable body in early 2002.
Arulananathan was caged for life, with a minimum term of 14 years to serve, after he was found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey in June 2003.
But after reviewing the case at London’s High Court, a senior judge upheld a bid by the now 28-year-old to have his minimum term cut.
In a very rare step, the court cut his ‘tariff’ by a year, hailing his “exceptional progress” while in custody.
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Mr Justice Kenneth Parker said Arulananathan teamed up with three other men to carry out the “shocking murder” of fellow Sri Lankan, Supenthar Ramachandran, on February 18, 2002.
The victim was repeatedly picked on by four men as they ate at a Tamil restaurant in Wembley.
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Mr Ramachandran was held against his will and forced to buy them a meal before being beaten to death, covered in petrol and set alight. The next day his body was found in Roe Green Park, in Kingsbury.
But prison reports since handed to the High Court showed the prisoner had made “exceptional progress”.
The judge said: “In all the circumstances of this case, I believe that the tariff should be reduced from 14 years to one of 13 years.”
Once Arulananathan’s minimum sentence expires, he will be released if the Parole Board is convinced the danger he posed to society has passed.
He will remain on perpetual ‘life licence’, subject to prison recall if he puts a foot wrong ever again.
