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A little diplomacy would help, especially on matters involving other countries.
Most people would probably confuse strangulation for heart attack but for a pathologist to do so would be incompetence.
Why wi news buss a England before even we know?
New twist in Woolmer case
British paper reports J'can police no longer treating death as murder
Saturday, June 02, 2007
WOOLMER. died on March 18
Britain's Daily Mail newspaper today reported that Jamaican police will next week announce that Bob Woolmer's death is no longer being treated as murder.
"Instead, officers believe he died of heart failure brought on by chronic ill-health and possibly diabetes," the Daily Mail story said, describing the development as a "sensational twist" that followed "an extensive review of the evidence led by a senior Scotland Yard murder squad detective".
However, last night, Karl Angell, the Jamaica Constabulary Force's director of communications, said he did not know of any planned news conference for next week.
The Daily Mail story, written by Stephen Wright, quoted a source close to the inquiry as saying that "Woolmer was not a well man. It is now accepted that he died of natural causes."
The story also said that Woolmer's widow, Gill, who lives in Cape Town, South Africa, "will be officially informed of the stunning U-turn ahead of the announcement".
Woolmer, who coached the Pakistan cricket team, was found unconscious in his Jamaica Pegasus Hotel room on March 18, a day after his team's shock defeat in the Cricket World Cup to minnows Ireland at Sabina Park in Kingston. He was later pronounced dead at hospital.
The following day, police reported that a post-mortem conducted by pathologist Dr Ere Seshaiah was inconclusive. However, three hours later, police called a press conference at the Pegasus where crime chief, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields announced that Woolmer's death was being treated as "suspicious".
On March 22, the police announced that pathologists had concluded that Woolmer died as a result of asphyxia due to manual strangulation.
Since then, a number of theories have been advanced about Woolmer's death, and even after recent reports in British and Jamaican newspapers that Scotland Yard investigators had concluded that the former cricket coach was not murdered, Shields maintained that the death was still being treated as a homicide.
Last week, a senior Jamaican police officer told the Observer that local detectives who had gone to Woolmer's room on March 18 had, based on what they saw, concluded that the coach was not murdered. However, they were overruled.
"You need to ask what changed so dramatically between the announcement that the circumstances surrounding the death were inconclusive and when it was said to be suspicious," said the cop, who requested anonymity. "You also need to ask, was Dr Seshaiah forced to change his report."
Today's Daily Mail story said that Seshaiah's role in the inquiry was under scrutiny and that colleagues of Shields feel that the pathologist should share the blame for what the story termed "the bungled inquiry".
The British newspaper report was particularly harsh on Shields, quoting a colleague of the former Scotland Yard detective as saying: "With hindsight, he should have ensured a second-post mortem was carried out. Instead of saying the death was suspicious, he rushed out a statement saying it was murder. He is going to be a laughing stock."
The Observer was unable to contact Shields for a comment as he was said to be in England after visiting South Africa to speak with the Woolmer family.
According to the Daily Mail, "the Jamaican police changed their opinion after the post-mortem examination file and photographs were sent to a senior Home Office pathologist, Dr Nat Carey, who dismissed the strangulation theory".
Added the report: "The original examination in Jamaica concluded that strangulation was possible because a bone in Mr Woolmer's neck had been broken. Sources now say the bone may have been chipped when Mr Woolmer collapsed."
The newspaper also said that toxicology tests showed that Woolmer was not poisoned either and that recent speculation that he was intoxicated by high levels of herbicide have been dismissed by experts who said that only tiny amounts of a weed killer used on cricket pitches were found in his remains. That, the experts said, did not cause his death.
The Daily Mail reported that the Scotland Yard review was led by Detective Superintendent John Sweeney, who along with two detectives and a scene-of-crimes expert flew to Jamaica before Easter.
"He was asked to examine every aspect of the inquiry, including forensic and CCTV evidence, witness statements and the pathology report stating the cricket coach died from asphyxiation after being "manually strangled", the newspaper story said.
Most people would probably confuse strangulation for heart attack but for a pathologist to do so would be incompetence.
Why wi news buss a England before even we know?
New twist in Woolmer case
British paper reports J'can police no longer treating death as murder
Saturday, June 02, 2007
WOOLMER. died on March 18Britain's Daily Mail newspaper today reported that Jamaican police will next week announce that Bob Woolmer's death is no longer being treated as murder.
"Instead, officers believe he died of heart failure brought on by chronic ill-health and possibly diabetes," the Daily Mail story said, describing the development as a "sensational twist" that followed "an extensive review of the evidence led by a senior Scotland Yard murder squad detective".
However, last night, Karl Angell, the Jamaica Constabulary Force's director of communications, said he did not know of any planned news conference for next week.
The Daily Mail story, written by Stephen Wright, quoted a source close to the inquiry as saying that "Woolmer was not a well man. It is now accepted that he died of natural causes."
The story also said that Woolmer's widow, Gill, who lives in Cape Town, South Africa, "will be officially informed of the stunning U-turn ahead of the announcement".
Woolmer, who coached the Pakistan cricket team, was found unconscious in his Jamaica Pegasus Hotel room on March 18, a day after his team's shock defeat in the Cricket World Cup to minnows Ireland at Sabina Park in Kingston. He was later pronounced dead at hospital.
The following day, police reported that a post-mortem conducted by pathologist Dr Ere Seshaiah was inconclusive. However, three hours later, police called a press conference at the Pegasus where crime chief, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields announced that Woolmer's death was being treated as "suspicious".
On March 22, the police announced that pathologists had concluded that Woolmer died as a result of asphyxia due to manual strangulation.
Since then, a number of theories have been advanced about Woolmer's death, and even after recent reports in British and Jamaican newspapers that Scotland Yard investigators had concluded that the former cricket coach was not murdered, Shields maintained that the death was still being treated as a homicide.
Last week, a senior Jamaican police officer told the Observer that local detectives who had gone to Woolmer's room on March 18 had, based on what they saw, concluded that the coach was not murdered. However, they were overruled.
"You need to ask what changed so dramatically between the announcement that the circumstances surrounding the death were inconclusive and when it was said to be suspicious," said the cop, who requested anonymity. "You also need to ask, was Dr Seshaiah forced to change his report."
Today's Daily Mail story said that Seshaiah's role in the inquiry was under scrutiny and that colleagues of Shields feel that the pathologist should share the blame for what the story termed "the bungled inquiry".
The British newspaper report was particularly harsh on Shields, quoting a colleague of the former Scotland Yard detective as saying: "With hindsight, he should have ensured a second-post mortem was carried out. Instead of saying the death was suspicious, he rushed out a statement saying it was murder. He is going to be a laughing stock."
The Observer was unable to contact Shields for a comment as he was said to be in England after visiting South Africa to speak with the Woolmer family.
According to the Daily Mail, "the Jamaican police changed their opinion after the post-mortem examination file and photographs were sent to a senior Home Office pathologist, Dr Nat Carey, who dismissed the strangulation theory".
Added the report: "The original examination in Jamaica concluded that strangulation was possible because a bone in Mr Woolmer's neck had been broken. Sources now say the bone may have been chipped when Mr Woolmer collapsed."
The newspaper also said that toxicology tests showed that Woolmer was not poisoned either and that recent speculation that he was intoxicated by high levels of herbicide have been dismissed by experts who said that only tiny amounts of a weed killer used on cricket pitches were found in his remains. That, the experts said, did not cause his death.
The Daily Mail reported that the Scotland Yard review was led by Detective Superintendent John Sweeney, who along with two detectives and a scene-of-crimes expert flew to Jamaica before Easter.
"He was asked to examine every aspect of the inquiry, including forensic and CCTV evidence, witness statements and the pathology report stating the cricket coach died from asphyxiation after being "manually strangled", the newspaper story said.
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