KILLER CAGED
Scarlett Keeling’s killer jailed for ten years for the horrific rape and death of British teen in Goa 11 years ago after mum’s epic battle for justice
THE man who raped and killed Brit teen Scarlett Keeling has been sentenced to ten years in jail, 11 years after he committed the crime.
Samson D'Souza, 39, abused the 15-year-old on Anjuna beach in Goa, India, in February 2008, leaving her with 50 injuries before she drowned.
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He was found guilty of five charges at Bombay's High Court earlier this week.
Today he was handed a ten year jail sentence, reports.
On Wednesday Scarlett's mum Fiona MacKeown, 55, received a text from her lawyer while at work to confirm a court had overturned the acquittal of D'Souza.
She celebrated her daughter's killer finally being convicted by cracking open a "bottle of bubbly".
The mum-of-nine said she was "shocked but relieved" but only regretted that she can't get to India to watch D'Souza being jailed.
I would have liked to have been there to look into his eyes when he is sentenced
Fiona MacKeown
Ms MacKeown, from Holsworthy, Devon, said: "I can not get out there quick enough due to connecting flights.
"But I would have liked to have been there to look into his eyes when he is sentenced.
"He stared at me constantly and was so arrogant and did not look even a slightly bit sorry. I would like to stare at him as he is taken away.
"I still think about Scarlett all the time. When I see her friends and the things they are doing I always wonder, she could have been a mum by now.
"I have one daughter about to have a baby and another that has two children. She would have been an amazing aunt and was always great with children.
"Thoughts of what could have been will never go away. I don't know if this is closure as I don't think I will ever get over what happened but it goes some way towards it."
We are definitely going to be celebrating tonight with a bottle of bubbly
Ms MacKeown
She also told PA: "I'm actually still reeling. I can't quite believe that it's going to be over.
"It's happening. It's taking it's time to sink in that this is finally going to be over. Our lives have been on hold, well for me anyway. It's different for the children.
"They've been getting on with their lives by growing up. But it's been traumatic. Whenever I go to India they're always worried about what will happen to me.
";We are definitely going to be celebrating tonight with a bottle of bubbly."
The 15-year-old backbacker was raped and left for dead on a beach on Goa after a Valentine's Day party while on a family holiday.
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Two local men were charged with her rape and murder but acquitted in 2016.
Beach shack worker Samson D'Souza, 39, who had previously been cleared of culpable homicide and grievous sexual assault, was convicted at Bombay High Court today.
The teen, whose family had travelled along the coast without her, suffered 50 separate injuries.
Police in Goa initially concluded her death was accidental but, after a campaign by her family, a second post-mortem examination in March 2008 revealed she had been drugged and raped before drowning in seawater.
A postmortem showed there to be ecstasy, cocaine and LSD in Scarlett's body as well as multiple cuts to her body and signs of sexual assault.
FINALLY CONVICTED
The teenager was on a six-month family holiday in India in 2008 with her family - which was made up of her mother, her mother's boyfriend and seven siblings and half-siblings.
D’Souza and Carvalho, who both worked at Curlies' beach shack, were accused of plying Scarlett with drugs before attacking her.
D'Souza was found guilty of "culpable homicide not amounting to murder", as well as assault, destruction of evidence and providing narcotics to Scarlett, among other charges, the Keelings' lawyer, Vikram Varma.
While Plácido Carvalho, who had also been cleared in 2016, was acquitted.
The court was hearing an appeal filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2017 against the acquittal of the two men.
The timeline of Scarlett's death
- February 2008: Scarlett found dead on Anjuna beach, half naked and covered in 50 injuries
- March 2008: Barman Samson D’Souza, 36, and Placido Carvalho, 47, an alleged drug dealer, were arrested on suspicion of plying her with drugs, raping her and leaving her unconscious on the beach where she drowned
- March 2010: Charges were filed against both man
- September 2016: A children’s court clears both suspects
- February 2017: India’s Central Bureau of Investigation decides to appeal D’Souza and Carvalho's acquittal
- February 2018: Scarlett’s heartbroken mum called for Indian detectives to finally solve the mystery of her death once and for all
- July 2019: D'Souza has finally been convicted for the attack
Ms MacKeown, told the BBC she was "delighted" by the verdict but was sorry it had taken so long for justice to be obtained for her daughter.
Charges were filed against both man in March 2010.
But after eight years of investigation and court hearings, on September last year a children’s court cleared both suspects.
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Ms MacKeown said the Indian authorities had put her family "through hell" and her heart went out to all the other families fighting for justice for loved ones who had been murdered abroad.
She added she had been worried there would not be enough evidence for a conviction.
In February 2018, Scarlett’s heartbroken mum had called for Indian detectives to finally solve the mystery of her death once and for all.
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