Panaji, July 19: The Bombay High Court's Goa bench on Friday sentenced Samson D’Souza to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with murder and rape of a British teenager Scarlett Keeling on Anjuna beach in Goa in February 2008. On July 17, the bench comprising Justices R D Dhanuka and Prithviraj Chavan had convicted D’Souza under sections 328, 354, 304 (ii), 201 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 8(II) of the Goa Children’s Act. Goa Bench of Bombay HC Convicts One Accused in Death of British Teenager.

According to reports, the prosecution demanded life imprisonment for the convict. However, D’Souza’s defence lawyer Shailendra Bhobe argued that the convict is the lone earning member of the family and has a 12-year-old daughter and had no criminal record in the past. D’Souza had served six-and-a-half months behind bars. British Woman Raped And Robbed in Goa's Canacona Town; A look at Cases of Sexual Assault on Foreigners in India's Tourist Capital.

Vikram Verma, lawyer of Keeling’s mother also supported prosecutor Eijaz Khan’s arguments of sentencing D’Souza to life imprisonment under Section 8(II) of the Goa Children’s Act. The convict is a scuba diver by profession.

Keeling was a 15-year-old British who was on a six-month vacation to Goa with her family. Her drink was spiked and she was sexually assaulted by D’Souza on Anjuna Beach in 2008. Meanwhile, another accused in the case Placido Carvahlo was acquitted in the case.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 19, 2019 05:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).