Woolmer murdered - pathologist 25 Oct 2007 By: Richard Dickinson

Dr Ere Shesiah, the Jamaican government pathologist who conducted the autopsy on deceased former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has maintained the Jamaican government pathologist who conducted the autopsy on deceased former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has maintained his view that the Englishman was murdered. He was speaking at the public inquest into the coach's death, which opened in the country 9 days ago.

Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room on March 18th, the day after his side were eliminated from the Cricket World Cup by Ireland. He was pronounced dead an hour later. Dr Shesiah's initial findings sparked a global murder-enquiry and speculation about match-fixing, but in June a second autopsy, conducted by three other pathologists from Canada, the UK and South Africa, concluded that he had in fact died of natural causes, probably related to heart disease. The three also criticised the procedures used by Dr Shesiah.

However, he said on Wednesday: "I stand by my findings that Mr. Woolmer was strangled and, based upon additional information which I received, he was also poisoned." He also added that the police had rushed him to make a final judgement before the toxicology report came back - a report he only received after the murder enquiry had been dropped.

He said the poison used was cypermethrin which caused "salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea and muscular incoordination" and that this may have explained the disarray in Woolmer's room when he was found.

Dr Shesiah is expected to give further evidence today.

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