MANDEVILLE, Manchester — King’s Counsel KD Knight is alleging incompetence as a factor in the probe of circumstances surrounding the death of Mandeville businessman Jason Neil, 33.

The veteran attorney, who is representing Neil’s father, was responding to an autopsy report presented in the court on Thursday at the coroner’s inquest into the death of the Mandeville businessman in 2018.

There was an intense exchange among Knight, attorney-at-law Christopher Honeywell and forensic pathologist Dr Alphea Neblett, when the court was informed that the report from the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine (IFSLM) stated that there was “reason to believe that death may have been caused/accelerated by poisoning”.

Knight had made reference to poisoning during his questioning on Neblett, who performed the autopsy on Neil’s body on December 20, 2018.

However, Honeywell, who is representing Neil’s widow, asked Neblett if she had reason to believe there was poisoning, to which she responded “no”.

Neblett, who was giving evidence remotely, said the template used by IFSLM mentioning poisoning “is a very confusing phrase. It needs to be [struck] out of the template, because it always causes this problem,” she said.

Knight, in response, said: “Well, it just shows how incompetent the whole thing is; a man lost his life. A man lost his son and we need to know how and why.” Neblett said no blood was taken from Neil’s body for toxicology “only for DNA analysis”.

Earlier, Neblett told the court that she performed the autopsy at Archer’s funeral home and determined that the cause of death was attributed to a gunshot wound to the head.

Neblett said there was a perforating gunshot wound to the right side of the head. She explained that the entrance wound was located on the right temple and there was a muzzle imprint around the entrance wound as well as soot (gun powder) in the wound tract.

She said the direction of the projectile (bullet) was from right to left. She also said the exit wound was on the left temple region of the head. “There was no other injuries seen. No evidence of significant natural pathology (disease),” she said.

Knight asked Dr Neblett if she had questioned if Neil was right or left handed to which she responded “no”.

Knight then told the court that Neil was left handed.

Honeywell, in pointing to a section of the autopsy report which said Neil “possibly had depression for approximately five years”, sought clarity regarding the statement.

Knight then asked her if she is “a psychiatrist?” to which she responded “no” and explained that the investigating officer had mentioned the possibility of mental depression to her.

Neil, a proprietor in Neil Auto on Ward Avenue in Mandeville, was found dead in the bathroom of his house on Julie Drive in the upscale community of Ingleside.

Police reported that on December 4, 2018 about 7:00 am, Neil’s then-pregnant wife heard an explosion, and when she went to investigate, he was allegedly seen on the floor with his licensed firearm beside him. He was pronounced dead at hospital.

The clerk of the court reiterated on Thursday that the CD containing photographs from the scene was not received from the police’s scene of crimes unit, as it was not located.

Knight said he was “handicapped” because of the absence of the photographs.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Miguel Bernard, a ballistic expert, also presented evidence to the court. He concluded that the bullet was fired from Neil’s Glock pistol.

The inquest is set to continue on November 7.