The key eyewitness in the Scarlett Keeling murder case – British national Michael Mannion – who had seen the girl get sexually abused at the Anjuna beach shack, had refused to testify during the trial of the case. Speaking about it from UK, Fiona Mckeown, Scarlett's mother said, "I don't know whether he was having a problem in general or if he was scared. He was right there but he did not stop accused Samson D'Souza from abusing Scarlett. The least he could have done was to testify in the case, as he was a crucial witness for the prosecution. I'm not happy with him. He is a coward."

Mannion, a carpenter by profession, is based in England, UK. In order to get him testified in the case, the prosecution had even sought permission from the court during the course of trial stating that he had seen the accused assaulting the girl before she was found dead.