The Deaths of Cricket Coach Bob Woolmer and Barbados Prime Minister Tom Adams – Some Common Circumstances?

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NOTE ABOUT TIMING: There has been quite a debate going on in the comments section of this article. Richard Goddard wrote that David Simmons was a member of the Cabinet at the time or shortly after Adams was Prime Minister. Several readers contest this, and in the likelihood that Simmons was not a cabinet member, we call upon Richard Goddard to explain how Simmons could have been involved in the situation immediately following Adams’ death.

The sudden death of J.M.G.M. Tom Adams, 55 years, Prime Minister of Barbados in 1985, and Bob Woolmer, 58, the English born Pakistan cricket coach, in 2007 have a common thread. Both were V.I.P.s, and the deaths must under law, be carefully and thoroughly investigated by senior and experienced police officers, with post mortems and toxicological tests on body specimens. The crime scene, that is the room in which the body was found, and the whole building and grounds should be tested, while forensics carry out their examinations. The room in which the body was found should also be carefully photographed.

In Adams’ death, Dr Cato, Acting Governor-General, and senior BLP supporter, was the first doctor on the scene. He pronounced Adams dead, but refused to sign the death certificate. Dr Hassell was the second doctor to see Adams’ body, and he also refused to sign the death certificate. Dr William StJohn, cousin of H.B. StJohn, the next Prime Minister, signed the death certificate, and no post mortem was performed. Because Adams was a V.I.P., and in the interest of transparency, the post mortem should have been performed, and toxicological tests carried out.

Was anything found at the crime scene which had caused Adams’ sudden death, and which was subsequently destroyed, as it was not politically expedient to show the true cause of death? The cause given on the death certificate is similar to someone who has died of a cocaine overdose which causes the heart to fibrillate, but only a toxicological test on body fluids would confirm this. If over-strength cocaine was voluntarily snorted, it would cause fibrillations of the heart and result in death. In the drug world it is common to make examples by giving overstrength cocaine to addicts, who then unwittingly overdose.

Was Our Current Barbados Chief Justice Involved In Any Way With The Aftermath Of Adams’ Death? *

Adams’ death was NOT recorded in the District ‘A’ Police Station diary, where policy dictates that all sudden deaths taking place at home are to be recorded, with the name of the investigating officer. The only authority to stop a post mortem and the correct investigation could come from the top of the political ladder, and that is the Cabinet, one of the then members of which, David Simmons, is the Chief Justice of Barbados today. (SEE NOTE BELOW About Timing)

Bob Woolmer’s Body Was Conveniently Cremated Prior To The Toxicology Evidence Being Presented *

Bob Woolmer, 58, and who weighed about 250 lbs., was found unconscious in his Pegasus Hotel room in Jamaica, and there is no record of him speaking. The room was disarranged, with furniture over-turned and blood and faeces around. The chief investigating officer was Assistant Commissioner Shields, a senior and experienced police officer from the London Metropolitan Police, on contract with the Jamaica police. Forensics carried out examination of the crime scene, i.e. the hotel room. A post mortem was carried out by Dr Ere Sheshiah, an Indian, who was the senior government pathologist, who had worked in Jamaica for over 15 years with plenty of post mortem experience. (There are over 1,650 murders in Jamaica each year.)

Dr Sheshiah found abnormal activity in the right side hyold bone, suggesting manual strangulation. Dr Sheshiah was the only pathologist to perform an autopsy on the body. We now find three pathologists, from Canada, England and South Africa challenging his findings. Mrs Dunbar who worked 26 years in the Forensic Laboratory in Jamaica and is very experienced, carried out tests on blood and urine and found Cypermethrin in Woolmer’s blood and urine, and the tranquiliser Chloropazine in his stomach. Alchohol was also found in blood specimens. The cause of death as natural, was announced on 12th June, while the toxicological results showing evidence of the pesticide came out on the 21st June, which is a classic example of the cart before the horse. Woolmer’s body was cremated in South Africa before these results were made known.

How Could A Deadly Pesticide Have Accidentally Appeared In Woolmer’s Drink And Body? *

Cypermethrin is a pesticide easily obtained from any garden shop and is sold under the brand name AMBUSH. It is an ant and roach killer, and is a powder soluble in alcohol, and has a light colour. On tests on rats it shows signs of tremors, seizures, rigours and salivation. These were the signs found where Woolmer’s body was found in the room.

Is this another attempt at a cover up to save World Cup Cricket? The Barbados Advocate and the Nation would do cricket a service by carrying the evidence in the Coroner’s Court in Jamaica, as the Jamaica Gleaner reports. There is big money in World Cup Cricket, with many hands in the piggy bank. Gambling in cricket is big business, especially in India and Pakistan, and in recent years cricketers have been identified as working with bookmakers to throw matches in exchange for money.

Any further attempt to cover up Murder will make the case more confusing, and the public has a right to the facts, and hopefully the truth can be established.

Richard Goddard

* NOTE: The question about the Chief Justice and the titles of the article were added by Barbados Free Press. Certain grammatical and spelling changes were also made by BFP.

NOTE ABOUT TIMING: There has been quite a debate going on in the comments section of this article. Richard Goddard wrote that David Simmons was a member of the Cabinet at the time or shortly after Adams was Prime Minister. Several readers contest this, and in the likelihood that Simmons was not a cabinet member, we call upon Richard Goddard to explain how he could have been involved in the situation immediately following Adams’ death.

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