Jamaica:Heart disease was the probable cause of death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer during last spring's Cricket World Cup, a British pathologist said yesterday.
The enlarged condition of Woolmer's heart, the fluid in his lungs and the blood on his pillow were all signs of a death from natural causes, Dr Nathaniel Cary told a jury on the second day of an inquest in Kingston, Jamaica.
Dr Cary examined photographs of the coach's body as part of an investigation sparked by a Jamaican pathologist's conclusion that Woolmer (58) had been strangled in his Kingston hotel.
But the British consultant forensic pathologist said he saw no signs of foul play. "Forget Bob Woolmer, forget the Pegasus [hotel]," he said. "If this was a routine autopsy, I would account IHD [ischaemic heart disease] as the cause of death."
Woolmer, a highly regarded cricket coach and former player from South Africa, died on March 18th, a day after Pakistan was eliminated from the World Cup in an upset loss to Ireland.
Jamaican police announced four days later that he had been strangled. They abandoned the murder inquiry almost three months later after pathologists in Britain, South Africa and Canada concluded the coach died from natural causes.
Dr Cary, a consultant to the Metropolitan Police and other agencies, is one of about 50 witnesses expected to testify in the inquest to formally determine the cause of death. The inquest is scheduled to continue to November 9th.
- (AP)