Family of murdered pizza driver thank public for support

Thavisha Peiris, 25, was found slumped in his car 
with fatal stab wounds last month after going out on 
his final day at work at a 
branch of Domino’s Pizza in the city.

In a statement issued after arriving in South Yorkshire from Sri Lanka to speak to police, his parents and brother thanked the “many people who have stood by us in this difficult time”.

They said: “Our family and friends, thank you for your love and concern.

“We would like to thank the police investigators, headed by Detective Superintendent Lisa Ray and her team for their tireless efforts.

“We would like to thank the British High Commission in Sri Lanka for taking a personal interest in the matter and we thank Domino’s for the support extended to us.

“Last but not least, we thank the British media and the British public for their concern. We hope no other family goes through what we are facing right now.”

Two people, one aged 17 and one aged 25, have been charged with murder in connection with Thavisha’s death on October 27 and will appear at Sheffield Crown Court on November 15.

Mr Peiris came to the UK to finish an IT degree and graduated from Sheffield Hallam University in 2011.

He had just secured a job as an IT consultant in the city. His colleagues and police said he had been feeling unwell during his last shift and was going to go home early but agreed to deliver one last order.

He was found dead in a silver Toyota Yaris car in Southey Crescent at about 10.30pm by fellow Domino’s workers who had gone looking for him after he failed to deliver his order.

His brother, Pramod Chetheka Peiris, said: “My brother was a wonderful person with a lot of love for life.

“He was not just my brother, he was my friend. Words can not express our suffering and nothing can bring my brother back.”