KINGSTON, Nov 17: The police officer who led Jamaica’s investigation into the death of late Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer told an inquest on Friday that in his view Woolmer died because he was ill.

Deputy police commissioner Mark Shields told coroner Patrick Murphy and an 11-member jury that based upon his investigations, he was convinced that Woolmer was not strangled.

“After considering all the evidence, having dialogue and consultation with my colleagues and looking around at Mr. Woolmer’s room, it was clear to me that Mr. Woolmer was very sick and died of complications,” Shields said.

Shields was giving testimony for a third successive day on Friday, as the official Jamaican inquest into the death that stunned the international cricket world crawls to an end.

Shields, who was recruited by the Jamaican police force two years ago to help solve spiralling crime, said that there was no evidence to suggest that anyone else was in Woolmer’s room the day before or on the day he died.

“Our investigations were exhaustive and thorough and at the end of it, we believe that Mr. Woolmer was not strangled,” he said.

The inquest, now in its 23rd day, had been due to end on Nov 9, but was extended by at least a week.—Reuters