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Woolmer widow raises death doubts | Woolmer widow raises death doubts |
(19 minutes later) | |
The wife of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer has denied that her husband committed suicide but refused to rule out the possibility he was murdered. | |
Woolmer, 58, was found in his hotel room on Sunday, the day after his team lost to Ireland in the World Cup. | Woolmer, 58, was found in his hotel room on Sunday, the day after his team lost to Ireland in the World Cup. |
Police in Jamaica are still unable to confirm how Woolmer died, and continue to treat the case as "suspicious". | |
A police spokesman confirmed they had now decided to seek the opinion of a second pathologist. | |
Speaking at her home in South Africa, Gill Woolmer said she expected her husband's body would be flown home after the second pathologist concluded his investigation. | |
Pakistan team trainer Murray Stephenson is due to accompany Woolmer's body to South Africa when the investigation is concluded. | |
Passionate fans | |
Mrs Woolmer said she had been given "some indication" of why police thought her husband's death was suspicious, but did not reveal what it was. | |
Woolmer, a former England Test player, was found unconscious at his Kingston hotel last Sunday and died later that day. | Woolmer, a former England Test player, was found unconscious at his Kingston hotel last Sunday and died later that day. |
We never got any threats as far as I know Woolmer's widow Gill | |
"The second pathologist's test should be available and as soon as we get that the investigation will be winding down and they will be able to send his body back to South Africa," Gill Woolmer said. | |
Speaking to Sky News, she added: "There is always the possibility that it could have been [murder]." | |
Help 'available' | |
Mark Shields, Jamaica's deputy police commissioner, has rebuffed direct questions about whether Woolmer was murdered. | |
Mark Shields is a former head of the City of London Special BranchMr Shields is a former British policeman who was head of Special Branch in the City of London at a time when the area was a target for the IRA. | |
He was recruited by the Jamaican government in 2005 to counter the island's endemic gun crime, Yardie gangs and drug culture. | He was recruited by the Jamaican government in 2005 to counter the island's endemic gun crime, Yardie gangs and drug culture. |
The UK's Metropolitan Police is "ready to assist" its Jamaican counterpart with the investigation, Deputy Commissioner Paul Stephenson has told the BBC, although there has been no explicit request for help. | |
In a statement on Thursday, Jamaican police spokesman Karl Angell said the government pathologist who conducted the first post-mortem examination was awaiting the result of toxicology and histology tests. | |
Health questions | |
Bob Woolmer was known to suffer from diabetes, but his widow dismissed the suggestion that he died from a drugs overdose. | |
"Bob had Type 2 diabetes, which you do not have to take drugs for. Reports of him drinking and overdosing on drugs are absolute rubbish," she said. | |
The Pakistan team held a memorial service after Wednesday's game | The Pakistan team held a memorial service after Wednesday's game |
Asked about the stresses of his job, she said: "He never mentioned anything about being under pressure, but I had seen pictures of him on TV and know him well enough to know he was under pressure by the expression on his face." | |
Woolmer's final communication with his wife was an e-mail sent following Pakistan's surprise World Cup defeat by Ireland, the match finishing only hours before his death. | Woolmer's final communication with his wife was an e-mail sent following Pakistan's surprise World Cup defeat by Ireland, the match finishing only hours before his death. |
"I received it the following morning and he just said he was very disappointed in their performance and couldn't understand how the result had happened. He was just very depressed about it," she said. | "I received it the following morning and he just said he was very disappointed in their performance and couldn't understand how the result had happened. He was just very depressed about it," she said. |
"He had a very good relationship with the team. He liked the boys and I think the feeling was mutual. | "He had a very good relationship with the team. He liked the boys and I think the feeling was mutual. |
"They had a lot of fun together, as well as working very hard together, and the PCB administration were very good to him and looked after him very well." | "They had a lot of fun together, as well as working very hard together, and the PCB administration were very good to him and looked after him very well." |
Pakistan won their final World Cup group match against Zimbabwe by 93 runs on Wednesday, following a minute's silence as a mark of respect for the coach. | |