Mangaluru: The Second Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced Samson Francis Coutinha to four years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 in connection with the death of his sister, Fiona Sweedal Coutinha, at Kambalapadavu in 2019.

The court also sentenced him to a further one year of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 for causing the disappearance of evidence after the incident. The case was investigated by ACP South T Kodandaram, while Advocate Jyothi Pramod Naik represented the prosecution during the trial.

According to the prosecution case, the incident took place on October 8, 2019, at around 12 noon at Samson’s residence in Kambalapadavu. A dispute allegedly broke out between the siblings over a mobile phone, leading to the fatal incident.

Argument over mobile phone led to attack

According to the case details, Samson had reportedly asked his sister Fiona to give him her mobile phone for his use.

An argument subsequently broke out between the two over the phone. The prosecution alleged that Samson became enraged during the exchange and attacked Fiona on the head with a hammer.

Fiona sustained severe injuries in the attack and died as a result, according to the prosecution.

The case subsequently took a more serious turn when her body was allegedly concealed in the bushes behind the house after her death.

Father lodged missing complaint

Fiona’s father, Francis Coutinha, later approached the police and lodged a complaint stating that his daughter was missing.

Based on the complaint, the police registered Crime No. 67/2019 under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and began an investigation into her disappearance.

As the probe progressed, the police gathered further evidence regarding the circumstances surrounding Fiona’s disappearance and death.

The investigation was subsequently taken over by ACP South T Kodandaram, who conducted the detailed probe into the case.

Following the investigation, a charge sheet was filed before the court on January 10, 2020, under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC.

Court trial and conviction

The case came up for trial before the Second Additional District and Sessions Court, where the prosecution presented its case and evidence.

After considering the material placed before it, the court delivered its verdict on August 24, 2026.

Samson Francis Coutinha was sentenced under Section 304(ii) of the IPC to four years’ imprisonment and was also directed to pay a fine of Rs 10,000.

Section 304(ii) deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder where the accused is aware that the act is likely to cause death but does not have the intention to cause death or such bodily injury as is likely to cause death.

For the offence under Section 201 of the IPC, relating to causing the disappearance of evidence or providing false information to screen an offender, the court imposed an additional sentence of one year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.

The prosecution in the case was represented by Advocate Jyothi Pramod Naik.

The verdict brings to a close a case that began with a missing-person complaint in 2019 and later led to a detailed investigation into the death of Fiona Sweedal Coutinha and the alleged concealment of her body.