DEPUTY Commissioner of Police, Mark Shields, said yesterday his team cooperated fully with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) throughout the investigation into the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer.

DCP Shields, who was testifying for the fourth straight day of the coroner's inquest at the Jamaica Conference Centre, was responding to questioning from attorney Dirk Harrison of the DPP. Harrison questioned the validity of Shields' statement, pointing out that the DPP office was not involved in two important aspects of the case.

Harrison said reports from pathologists Dr. Nathaniel Cary of England, Michael Pollanen of Canada and the South African Lorna Jean Martin, were published in the press before reaching the DPP's. He also said the DPP was not consulted by the police before they declared the case closed on June 14.

Shields said he did not know how the reports appeared in The Gleaner before their official release.

Leak was limited

"I can't say if the leak came from the Jamaica Constabulary Force, but I can say circulation of the report was extremely limited," he said.

The former Scotland Yard detective was the main witness on the 23rd day of the inquest. Also appearing yesterday were Detective Superintendent Leslie Williams, Detective Corporal Homer Morgan, Detective Corporal Desmond Johnson and Corporal Tanean Smith.

The 58-year-old Woolmer was Pakistan's coach during their ill-fated Cricket World Cup campaign. He was found by staff at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on the morning of March 18, one day after highly-touted Pakistan were eliminated from the tournament by outsiders Ireland.

In March, government pathologist, Dr. Ere Seshaiah, gave asphyxia caused by manual strangulation as the cause of death. During his testimony at the inquest, he changed that analysis to asphyxia caused by manual strangulation associated with cypermethrin poisoning.

Cary, Pollanen and Martin theorise that it is likely Woolmer died from natural causes.