Scotland Yard sleuths arrives to help Shields crack murder mystery

Kingston, Apr 3 (UNI) Four Scotland Yard detectives, led by Superintendent John Sweeney, arrived in the island last night to assist local cops probing the murder Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer.

Evan a forensic expert from International Police (Interpol) was scheduled to arrive in the country last night to assist with the ongoing investigations, a high-ranking officer of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JFC) told 'The Gleaner'.

''She is expected to arrive tonight (last night). She will be looking at the pathologist report,'' the officer said.

Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields, who is heading local investigations into Woolmer's March 18 murder will brief the four detectives from Scotland Yard's Specialist Crime Directorate.

Shields, himself a Scotland Yard detective on secondment to the Jamaica Constabulary, has been under pressure to crack the 'murder' mystery and has been heavily criticised by a section of the media for planning to take a vacation starting on Thursday this week.

Yesterday, he insisted that the Scotland Yard sleuths were not here because local cops were incapable of handling the probe.

Days after Woolmer's naked body was found in room 374 on the 12th floor of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Shields had announced that overseas assistance would be sought if local police deemed it necessary.

''This is normal procedure, we have to start retracing our steps to see if we left anything out,'' Shields justified.

Shields also dismissed reports in the British media that Woolmer drowned his sorrows in whisky after Pakistan's humiliating loss to Ireland, which led to their ouster.

''I have heard that, but there was no empty whisky bottle in his room,'' he said.

UNI