KOTA KINABALU: The late Zara Qairina Mahathir was in a critical condition when she was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) in the early hours of July 16.
Forensic Pathologist at HQE’s Department of Forensic Medicine, Dr Jessie Hiu, told the Coroner’s Court that Zara arrived at the hospital at 4.38am with a Glasgow Coma Score of 3/15 (E1V1M1) (the lowest possible score on the scale, and indicates deep unconsciousness or coma).
“She was unconscious on arrival. A trauma alert was activated at 4.42am. She was then assessed and managed by a multi-disciplinary team,” she said while reading her written testimony as the first witness in the inquest into Zara’s death.
Dr Jessie said clinical examination, CT scan, CT angiography and radiographs revealed a series of severe injuries.
These included scalp haematoma, intracranial bleeding with brain swelling, hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, a fracture of the distal radius (left forearm), subluxation (dislocation) of the left wrist joint, left tibia fracture and lacerations on the left ankle.
Further scans also detected a distal tibia fracture, ankle joint subluxation, comminuted fracture of the left calcaneum (heel bone), and fractures of the second to fourth lumbar vertebrae.
She added that Zara also suffered a left psoas muscle haematoma and extraperitoneal pelvic tissue haematoma.
“She died from severe traumatic brain injury with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy at 1.07pm on July 17, 2025,” Dr Jessie said.
Dr Jessie, 58, who has served at HQE since 1998, holds a medical degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and a master’s in pathology from Universiti Malaya.
She is also a member of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Malaysian Society of Forensic Medicine and Science, and the Indo-Pacific Association of Law, Medicine and Science.
She told the court that she conducts and supervises between 100 and 150 autopsies annually, and gives expert testimony between 10 and 15 times a year at the Magistrates, Sessions and High Courts in Sabah and Labuan.
During proceedings, Conducting Officer Datuk Badiuszaman Ahmad sought clarifications on parts of her written statement, including 172 post-mortem photographs of Zara.
Dr Jessie testified before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Also present were lawyers representing Zara’s parents and defence counsel for the five teenagers charged with bullying at the Juvenile Court.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
