Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

WOOLMER

GRAPHIC IMAGES, robust jousting between a key witness and the prosecutor, and an embarrassing incident involving a journalist, highlighted yesterday's second day of the Coroner's Inquest into the death of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer.

Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry again went on the offensive. He challenged British pathologist Nat Cary's prognosis that the 58-year-old Woolmer died from heart failure and not asphyxia, as ruled by government pathologist Dr. Ere Seshiah.

Early in the proceedings, Dr. Cary took his local counterpart's analysis to task, saying it resulted from poor autopsy technique. But after viewing the Woolmer autopsy, he conceded that he erred when he said Dr. Seshiah's procedure of cutting the England Test player's neck before removing his brain was faulty.

The India-born pathologist had, in fact, first performed on the brain. Dr. Cary maintained, however, that the general performance of Dr. Seshiah was below par.

Mr. Pantry and Dr. Cary had at least three heated exchanges.

Painted scenario

The first came when Mr. Pantry revisited the scene in Woolmer's room at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel where he was found dead on March 18. He painted a scenario of someone using a pillow to manually strangle a person, to which Dr. Cary responded, "That's a foolish proposal, it's unlikely someone could be strangled that way."

Not amused, Mr. Pantry retorted, "I would appreciate if you do not regard my questions as foolish. I have shown you courtesy and I wish you to show me the same."

As he did on the opening day, Dr. Cary stuck to his finding that Woolmer succumbed to a deteriorating heart. He said the coach's heart was significantly enlarged, swelling to an unhealthy 520 grams.

"The main pump chamber on the left side had a thick wall that blocked the coronary arteries which supplies blood to the heart. If you put the two together it indicates he suffered from ischaemic heart disease," Dr. Cary explained.

Mr. Pantry was involved in another spat, with journalist Matheus Sanchez, who is covering the inquest for the London-based Splash News and Pictures. He accused Mr. Sanchez of recording proceedings on his Blackberry phone, and ordered security personnel to relieve him of the instrument, as well as his laptop computer.

Technicians found nothing irregular, but coroner Patrick Murphy said he will prohibit such instruments from the court. Prior to the inquest, security asked that cellular phones be turned off before entering the court and that no sketches be done.

The inquest continues today.

Eldon Bremmer, general manager at the Jamaica Pegasus; Nancy McLean, the hotel's food and beverage manager and waitress Deidra Henry also testified. Ms. Henry said she served Woolmer a meal of lasagna and apple pie with ice cream in his room at 9:30 p.m. on March 17, just hours before his body was discovered by a room attendant.

He was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Dr. Seshiah said Woolmer died from asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation. But a follow-up autopsy by Dr. Cary at the Metropolitan Police offices in London, found that he died from heart failure. Similar examinations by Dr. Micheal Pollanen in Ontario, Canada and Professor Lorna Martin of Cape Town, South Africa supported Dr. Cary's analysis, resulting in embarrassment for local law enforcement. >