Week four of the inquest into the death of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer was dominated by testimonies surrounding the poison cypermethrin, and its detection in samples of Woolmer’s DNA and fluids, as well as exhibits taken from his room by local forensic analysts.

The highlight of the week came, however, when Acting Chief Forensic Officer of the government forensic laboratory, Fitzmore Coates testified that he had discovered what he termed a ‘significant’ amount of cypermethrin in a sample of Woolmer’s stomach contents and that the amount was capable of causing death.

Coates also testified that he found traces of the poison in samples of Woolmer’s blood, urine as well as two liquids taken from his room, bringing to three the number of analysts who detected the drug in samples of Woolmer’s fluids and DNA.

Local forensic analyst Marcia Dunbar as well as director of the Forensics Centre in Barbados, Cheryl Corbin, both gave evidence last week that cypermethrin was found in the cricket coach’s system after his death. Dunbar stated that the insecticide was found in Woolmer’s urine and blood samples, while Corbin stated that the poison was found in Woolmer’s stomach contents samples.

However, last week British-based toxicologist John Slaughter, who was commissioned by the Crown, which is being led by Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry and Assistant Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Tanya Spence, to conduct tests on body fluids taken from Woolmer, reported no findings of cypermethrin.

Slaughter, it was later revealed, had complained of not having enough of Woolmer’s samples to conduct proper tests, casting doubt on the reliability of his findings.

Day 14 (Monday, November 5)

Resident Magistrate Patrick Murphy, the magistrate overseeing the coroner’s inquest into Woolmer’s death ordered that the DNA samples taken from Woolmer’s body, which were sent to local forensic pathologists as well as John Slaughter for analysis, would be retested at a laboratory at the University of the West Indies.

Acting on behalf of deputy commissioner of police Mark Shields, attorneys last Friday made the application to Murphy.

Day 14 of the inquest also saw Jamaica Constabulary Force photographer Corporal Douglas Marner, of the Major Investigations Task Force, giving evidence surrounding pictures he took of Woolmer’s hotel room at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel the day Woolmer’s body was discovered March 18. The photographs were shown to the court on large projectors after which Marner, while under examination from Spence, was allowed to elaborate on their contents.

Among the photographs displayed was a photograph of the outside lock to Woolmer’s room door, which appeared to have been visibly tampered with. Marner suggested that a blunt object such as a screwdriver could have made the markings on the door.

Another photograph showed a cardboard box in the room marked ‘IRELAND’ which contained, among other things, an emergency lifesaver kit and tongue depressors.

There were also several photographs of blood and vomit all over the bed, pillows and bathroom inside Woolmer’s hotel room.

Day 15 (Tuesday, November 6)

After making the request to coroner Murphy, Marcia Dunbar was given the go-ahead to be present during the retesting of samples sent to the University of the West Indies.

Meanwhile, senior forensic analyst Sherron Brydson gave evidence which suggested that Woolmer may not have been alone in his room before his death. While under examination from Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry, Brydson said after conducting tests of the DNA present on the rims of two drinking glasses and a bottle of champagne taken from Woolmer’s room the day his body was discovered at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, she found evidence of another person having been in contact with the three objects.

Brydson also testified that similar results were yielded when she tested fibres from a bloodstain on the wall beside the toilet in the bathroom of Woolmer’s hotel room.

“There was some trace of somebody else’s DNA present on the surface that the blood was on,” she said.

Brysden was quick to note, however, that she could not identify the person to whom the DNA belonged, and also pointed out that the DNA found in the blood sample could have been on the wall before the blood arrived there.

Brydson said her findings showed no correspondence between the errant DNA profile and those of any of the 22 members of the Pakistani Cricket World Cup 2007 team, the Pakistani team trainer Murray Stevenson or the team physiotherapist Darryn Lifson. Brydson’s findings also cleared seven Pegasus employees who allegedly came in contact with Woolmer’s room.

Day 16 (Wednesday, November 7)

The inquest took yet another dramatic twist when it was revealed that Slaughter had complained of not having sufficent samples to conduct conclusive toxicology analyses.

This discovery could have significant implications on the reliability of Slaughter’s statement that he found no cypermethrin in the samples sent to him by the local investigators.

Judith Mowatt, director of the local forensic science laboratory, also gave evidence that she took samples of Woolmer’s stomach contents and of the straw-coloured liquid taken from Woolmer’s room to Barbados to be tested by Corbin. She said she was present during all stages of the analysis, including the instance when the samples tested positive for cypermethrin.

Jamaica Constabulary Force director of communications Karl Angell also testified and gave evidence that on March 26, a female journalist from the international media gave him an envelope with two photographs and a compact disc following a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. He said the woman, while handing him the envelope, said it “might help” in the investigations into Woolmer’s death.

The data on the compact disc was not shown to the court, but the photographs, one of which appeared to show a man who appeared to be of Indian descent standing, were shown to the jury, the presiding magistrate, Pantry and attorney Jermaine Spence, who is watching the proceedings on behalf of the International Cricket Council.

Pantry promised the jury that the data on the disc would be shown at a later date.

Day 17 (Thursday, November 8)

Answering the question that many had waited to be answered since the discovery of the poison cypermethrin in Woolmer’s body, Fitzmore Coates, Acting Chief Forensic Officer at the local Forensic Services Laboratory, testified that a ‘significant’ amount of the substance was found in Woolmer’s stomach samples which he tested.

Coates testified that analysis done by him on samples of Woolmer’s stomach contents gave a reading of approximately 3.4 milligrams per millilitre of cypermethrin, and that he considered this level to be a ‘significant’ amount.

And during further examination by Pantry, Coates stated that there might have been more of the poison in Woolmer as the sample was diluted, and Woolmer could have regurgitated some of the poison.

Coates testified, too, that he had discovered cypermethrin in samples of Woolmer’s urine and blood, as well as an amber liquid taken from Woolmer’s room and added that such a significant amount if ingested by a human being could cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea and death.

However, while under examination from attorney Jermaine Spence,

who is representing the interests of the International Cricket

Council, Coates stated that the levels at which cypermethrin becomes toxic in humans have not been conclusively determined

by scientists.

Day 18 (Friday, November 9)

Former fitness trainer for the Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2007 team, Murray Stevenson, testified that Woolmer was apprehensive about returning to Pakistan following his team’s loss to Ireland during the group stages of the tournament.

Stevenson told the court that while he was at Sabina Park, after Pakistan had lost the match to Ireland, he overheard Woolmer telling the Pakistan team’s operations manager Asad Mustafa that he wanted the ’emotions’ to settle before he returned to Pakistan.

“Mr Woolmer asked Mr Mustafa for the phone number for the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board as he would like to discuss his future with the Pakistan cricket team,” Stevenson said.

He testified that during discussions with Woolmer he learned that Woolmer had intended to retire from international cricket after the tournament closed, and also that Woolmer was writing a book on cricket. He said, to his knowledge, the book did not contain upsetting information.

Last Friday also saw testimony from former director of cricket operations for Cricket World Cup (CWC) West Indies 2007 Incorporated, Robert Hall, who sought to clarify the manner in which team members for Pakistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe and the West Indies were paid their daily stipends. Hall told the court that the team members were to be paid a daily allowance of US$70 by the Jamaica CWC local organising committee, which were to be distributed to them in individual envelopes.

However, Hall stated, the funds were not distributed to the committee in time which caused all the teams to receive their daily stipends in bulk.

While stating that all four teams received their stipends on March 14, Hall was unable to address the manner in which all the teams received and distributed their funds.