Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Aug 26: The Second Additional District and Sessions Court has sentenced Samson Francis Coutinha to four years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 for killing his sister Fiona Sweedal Coutinha at Kambalapadavu in 2019.
According to the case details, the incident occurred on October 8, 2019, at around 12 noon, at Samson’s residence in Kambalapadavu. Samson had asked his sister Fiona to give him her mobile phone to use. An argument reportedly broke out between the siblings over the phone, following which Samson, allegedly angered by the exchange, attacked Fiona on the head with a hammer, resulting in her death.
After the alleged killing, Samson concealed Fiona’s body in the bushes behind the house.
Fiona’s father, Francis Coutinha, subsequently lodged a complaint with the police reporting that his daughter was missing. Based on the complaint, police registered Crime No. 67/2019 under Section 363 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The investigation was later taken up by ACP South T Kodandaram, who conducted the probe and submitted a charge sheet before the court on January 10, 2020, under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC.
The case came up for trial before the Second Additional District and Sessions Court. On August 24, 2026, the court sentenced Samson Francis Coutinha under Section 304(ii) of the IPC to four years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.
For the offence under Section 201 of the IPC, the court imposed a further one-year jail term and a fine of Rs 1,000.
Advocate Jyothi Pramod Naik appeared and argued the case on behalf of the prosecution.