Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence'

[DesiChap]

Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' Print Email To Editor Press Trust of India Posted online: Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 1503 hours IST Updated: Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 1506 hours IST Kingston/ London, April 21: The coroner's inquest into Bob Woolmer's death was put on hold to protect the evidences and avoid a clash of date with the cricket World Cup semifinals, Jamaica's Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields has said. "I requested a postponement to protect evidence being split into the public domain too early," Shields, also the chief investigator of the case, was quoted as saying in The Times of London. The decision was taken following a high-level meeting attended by Gil Scott, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Coroner Patrick Murphy, Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe and officials from the Ministry of Justice. "My principal concerns were (that) to conduct an inquest at this stage may seriously hinder the progress of the criminal investigation, including the potential for the suspect or suspects to be alerted as to the progress of the investigation," Shields told Jamaica Gleaner. "It might also prejudice a jury trial and the investigation is still at an early stage and is extremely complicated and holding an inquest now would be premature. There is also the consideration of the semi-final (on April 24) happening in Kingston at the same time," he added. The Times report also said that the ICC's lawyers pressed for a delay to avoid the inquest, scheduled to be held on April 23, creating an embarrassing sideshow to the World Cup. However, a statement issued by the Ministry of Justice, attributed the change in dates to ?new and significant developments?. The statement did not mention a possible date and its wording suggested the inquest could be cancelled. "If it becomes necessary for an inquest to be held after the new and material developments have been investigated, then another date for the holding of the inquest will be appointed," it said.

[DesiChap]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' Obviously the SF of a cricket WC is more important than continuing investigation and capturing the culprits :shrug: This is disgusting Oh well I guess Welsome to the real world ! :shrug:

[yoda]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' I am suspecting some player involvement if they think it could be a major embarrassment to cricket.

[DesiChap]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article1685572.ece Woolmer inquest postponed after plea from police chief Plans to hold an inquest into the death of Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach murdered in Kingston, Jamaica, last month, have been shelved after police protested that the hearing posed the risk of tipping off his killer about potentially crucial evidence. The Justice Ministry of Jamaica, which has jurisdiction over coroner?s inquests, bowed to a request from Mark Shields, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, to postpone the opening of the hearing, scheduled for Monday, to stop information known only to him and his investigation team from being revealed prematurely. Making the evidence public could also prejudice any criminal trial and hinder his investigation, which he described as ?extremely complicated? as it approaches its sixth week. ?I requested a postponement to protect evidence being spilt into the public domain too early,? he told The Times yesterday. Lawyers acting for the ICC, the sport?s world governing body, had also pressed for a delay to avoid the inquest creating an embarrassing sideshow to the World Cup in the Caribbean, with the semi-final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand being played in Kingston on Tuesday. Ministry officials, who held meetings late on Thursday with the coroner for Kingston and the Chief Justice, claimed that ?recent and significant developments? ? believed to include the results of preliminary toxicology tests, which were received in Kingston a week ago ? had led to the decision. ?The coroner wishes that these new and significant developments be pursued with the utmost urgency, taking into account that the officer in charge has advised that these new developments are critical to the progress and the eventual results of the investigations themselves,? the Ministry of Justice said in a statement. Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room in Kingston on March 18, the day after Pakistan?s defeat by Ireland. The cause of death was recorded as asphyxiation from manual strangulation, after a postmortem examination conducted shortly after his death, although preliminary toxicology results also suggest poisoning. More results are pending.

[DesiChap]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article1683666.ece Developments delay Woolmer inquestTimes Online and agencies The inquest into the death of Bob Woolmer has been postponed due to ?significant developments? in the murder inquiry. The former Pakistan coach was found dead in his Jamaican hotel room on March 18, the day after Pakistan had been eliminated from the World Cup, and a post mortem indicated he had been strangled. A coroner?s inquest had been set for April 23 in Kingston but this has now been put back indefinitely after a statement from the Jamaican Government. The statement did not give details of the developments but came just days after police revealed they had received results of toxicology tests on the body. ?The coroner has been advised there are recent and significant developments,? the Jamaican justice ministry said. ?These new developments are critical to the progress and the eventual result of the investigation.? The investigation into Woolmer?s death has continued during the World Cup and detectives are presently in Barbados and Grenada to interview the West Indies and Ireland teams, who stayed in the same hotel as Woolmer and the Pakistan team.Players and officials from the Pakistan team were interviewed by police before being allowed to return home last month. Detectives from Scotland Yard have also travelled to Jamaica to assist the investigation. It was announced last month that the body of Woolmer, who was 58, would remain in Jamaica until an inquest was heard.

[beetle]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' shame!..the world cup is more important than laying a body to rest.

[The Outsider]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence'

shame!..the world cup is more important than laying a body to rest.

Radhika, how much money will the ICC make by convicting Woolmer's murderer?

[Bumper]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' How can ICC or the WI board be involved in this decision ? I thought law enforcement was outside their jurisdiction. :shrug: What a farce this whole investigation has been.

[MundaPakistani]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' This is disgraceful!!!Bob really deserved better than this.

[Gaurav]

Re: Bob's Murder 'I wanted to protect evidence' The murderer must be sweating right now (if it's a player) If it's not a player then I doubt that they will ever be caught.