DESPITE earlier declaring that former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer died of natural causes, British forensic pathologist, Dr Nathaniel Carey, yesterday cast doubt on his findings under intense examination by Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry on the opening day of the coroner’s inquest into Woolmer’s death.

The inquest, which is being held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, is expected to end on November 9.

Local-based pathologist Dr Ere Seshiah had originally declared that Woolmer had been murdered, but after examinations by Carey and two other overseas-based pathologists – Professor Lorna Martin of Cape Town, South Africa and Dr Michael Pollanen of Ontario, Canada – local police declared that Woolmer died of heart complications.

But yesterday, Carey admitted that he did not receive any toxicology report to determine whether or not Woolmer was poisoned when questioned by Pantry.

“Suppose he had been poisoned?” Pantry asked. “Could he have been subdued?”

“Yes,” Carey answered during his sworn testimony.

“Did your examinations and findings provide any information of any poison in his urine?” asked Pantry.

“No, I had no external toxicology report to refer to,” Carey answered.

“Were you provided with any information that a straw-coloured liquid and a clear liquid had poison in them?” Pantry asked.

“No,” Carey replied.

Carey had earlier testified that he was provided with digital photos on seven compact discs that showed sections of the room where Woolmer’s lifeless body was found and various stages of the post-mortem exam along with a report filed by Seshiah at a meeting in Florida in April. He said he was also supplied with histology samples taken from Woolmer’s body.

He said he concluded that there was no violent struggle based on the photographs.

“There were a number of items of furniture in that room and also some quite delicate objects and none of these had been disturbed,” Carey told the inquest.

He also pointed out that if Woolmer had been killed in the bathroom of the ill-fated room 374 of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, his attacker could not leave based on the position in which his body was found.

“I understand that when his body was found, the bathroom door could not be opened. I regard this as a very, very important piece of evidence. If there was a third party in the bathroom, how could they leave without wedging the door shut?” he said.

Earlier testimonies were given by hotel employees, Bernice Robinson, who was examined by Deputy DPP Dirk Harrison.

Robinson, the room attendant who found Woolmer’s body, told the court that she opened Woolmer’s room door at about 7:30 am and heard what sounded like snoring. She said she closed the door and went to clean two other rooms before returning an hour later.

Robinson said when she entered the room she saw blood on a pillow and an overturned wicker chair.

“Then I went into the bathroom and the door was locked I knocked the door but there was no response, so I pulled the knob and opened the door,” Robinson testified.

She said the bathroom door would only open halfway and after trying harder she noticed Woolmer’s right leg under the face basin. Robinson said she peered around the door and saw Woolmer’s body. There was vomit and blood in the bathroom, Robinson said.

She said she called out to him and after getting no response, she left the room and called a co-worker who was cleaning rooms on the same floor.

Hotel security was then called in.

Testimony was also given by another employee, Imogene Douglas, who told the court that she had offered room service to Woolmer on Thursday, March 15 and noticed two men in the hotel room.

“I saw two somebody in the room with Mr Woolmer. Both were male. I told him good afternoon but he did not answer. He looked upset,” Douglas said.

The inquest is set to continue today when Carey will continue giving evidence.

It is expected that members of the Pakistan World Cup Cricket delegation will be among 50 witnesses to be called to give evidence during the inquest.

Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room on March 18, a day after his team suffered an embarrassing loss to minnows Ireland and crashed out of the first round of the Cricket World Cup.