DEPUTY Commissioner of Police Mark Shields yesterday defended the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) decision to declare investigations into the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer closed.

DCP Shields, who led the local investigation, made this comment during his testimony at the coroner's inquest into the 58-year-old Woolmer's death, at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

He said the police press conference on June 12 at the Police Officer's Club in Kingston was called after consultation with persons intimately involved with the case.

"Based on the thoroughness of the investigation, it was my view, and that of many others, that we did the right thing," DCP Shields said.

Others consulted

He said in addition to the local police, others consulted were the team that assisted from the Metropolitan Police in London; government pathologist Dr. Ere Seshaiah; pathologists Dr. Nathaniel Cary of Britain, Dr. Michael Pollanen of Canada, and South African Professor Lorna Martin.

DCP Shields told the 11-member jury that retired High Court judge, Justice Clarence Walker, and Glen Andrade, former Director of Public Prosecutions, were also advised.

Director of Public Prosecutions Kent Pantry asked Shields whether all involved were aware that traces of cypermethrin were found in samples taken from Woolmer's body. Shields responded that they knew of a May 10 meeting he had at the offices of the Metropolitan Police, in which he informed Judith Mowatt of the Government Forensic Science Laboratory, by speaker phone, that tests done in London showed no trace of the pesticide in a sample of blood taken from the former England player.

On June 12, then Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas announced that Woolmer died from natural causes. This was the conclusion of Cary, a pathologist with the Metropolitan Police.

Different analysis

Cary's analysis differed from that of Seshaiah, the government pathologist, who said Woolmer was strangled in his room at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. Pollanen and Martin supported Cary's analysis that Woolmer was not murdered.

Woolmer's nude body was found in the bathroom by hotel staff on the morning of March 18, one day after Ireland knocked Pakistan out of the Cricket World Cup.

Also yesterday, Shields said five persons associated with the Pakistani team were unable to attend the inquest, which began October 16. They are assistant manager Asad Mustafa, former media manager Pervez Mir, businessman Abdul Sattar, former captain Inzamam ul-Haq and medium-pacer Naved-ul-Hasan.

Mr. Pantry also asked coroner Patrick Murphy to call an attorney attending the inquest as a witness. Mr. Pantry said the attorney appeared on a radio talk show yesterday, saying that cypermethrin got into Woolmer's system through spraying of the substance at a Kingston morgue.

The DPP said this could influence jurors.