New Straits Times
KOTA KINABALU: The seven-day inquest into the late Zara Qairina Mahathir’s revealed injuries, possible fall simulations and the event sequences which have shed more light on the case.
Since the proceedings on Sept 3, six witnessed gave testimony — forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu; document examiner Nurul Atiqah Mohd Noh; Emergency and Trauma medical officer Dr Janefer Voo; Neurosurgery ward doctor Dr Pavankumar Balachandran; crime scene investigator Inspector Maidon Bernadus; and SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha security guard Linah Mansoding.
Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan had also led a scene investigation of Zara’s school dormitory with deputy public prosecutors, lawyers, police and firemen.
* On the first, second and sixth day of the inquest, Dr Hiu had been consistent in telling the Coroner’s Court that Zara’s injuries were due to a fall from height and ruled out foul play.
The expert, who has been working at the Queen Elizabeth hospital (QEH) since 1998, said the post-mortem revealed Zara would likely have landed on both feet based on the injuries found on the left foot, which led the impact to travel upward the body.
“As I explained and demonstrated at the site, she (the deceased) might have stood on the concrete wall and either jumped or swung herself while holding onto the hanging grille,” she said during the examination, referring to her earlier scene investigation at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha on Aug 2.
Following her testimony, Dr Hiu received threats online and a former headmaster was arrested and charged for threatening the pathologist.
* Nurul Atiqah, a witness from the Chemistry Department in Petaling Jaya, testified she had examined 21 exhibits which included torn pages, books and school textbooks and exercise books.
The witness told the court that disputable handwritings among those exhibits were similar to those found in Zara’s two school textbooks and an exercise book.
However, one of the books, known as W3, was co-written by Zara and another friend. Its first page contained both their names and writings, indicating they co-owned the book.
* Dr Voo, 32, was the first medical officer who attended to Zara when the ambulance arrived at the QEH about 4am on July 16.
Trauma alert was immediately activated as the initial assessment at that time indicated that Zara’s level of consciousness was at the lowest and most critical.
When examined by lawyers, the witness said saving Zara’s life was the main priority rather than securing her clothing for evidence, alerting the police or referring the case to the One-Stop Crisis Centre.
* Dr Pavankumar told the court Zara’s brain injuries were likely caused by trauma, but could not ascertain what caused the trauma.
The 32-year-old doctor said he informed Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat about her daughter’s death. Lawyer Rizwandean M Borhan, however, said Noraidah was not briefed by the doctor nor the investigating officer.
Zara was transferred to the neurosurgery ward around 6pm the same day and was pronounced dead around 1pm on July 17.
Dr Voo and Dr Pavankumar denied they had prescribed Phenytoin, an anti-epileptic drug, when Zara was under their care.
However, Dr Pavankumar also told the court that he was not around at 6pm on July 16 when Zara was moved to his ward.
The post-mortem found traces of Phenytoin in Zara’s kidney tissue.
* Maidon’s reconstruction of injuries sustained by Zara, using the same mannequin for two different fall simulations at SMKA Tun Mustapha school dormitory, came under scrutiny.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri questioned whether the mannequin’s height difference to Zara could affect the centre of gravity; whether the strapping of bricks around its waist could affect the weight distribution; and whether Maidon was an expert in biomechanics.
* Security guard Linah, who discovered Zara on July 16, told the court that the chief warden, Ustaz Azhari, had instructed three students to move Zara near a warden’s house and clean the pool of blood.
The 65-year-old also said Ustaz Azhari asked her to delete the picture of Zara found unconscious in her handphone and cut off students’ communications for 48 hours by shutting down all public phones in the dormitory.
She also testified Zara was accused of stealing a wallet belonging to a student and was questioned by seniors over the alleged theft.
Linah also testified that while on her rounds in the early hours of July 16, there were no reports of any student being beaten or bullied.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
