A Coroner’s Inquest into the suspected suicide of Mandeville businessman Jason Neil is to continue on November 7.
The matter was adjourned in the Manchester Parish Court on Thursday.
Jason Neil, the owner of Neil’s Auto Service in Mandeville, was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the head in the bathroom of his Julie Drive, Ingleside, home on December 4, 2018.
Neil’s then-pregnant wife found his body on the floor with his licensed firearm beside him.
More in this report from Robian Williams.
The Coroner’s Inquest comes almost five years after 33-year-old Jason Neil was suspected to have committed suicide.
In court on Thursday, forensic pathologist Dr. Alphae Neblett said she performed an autopsy on Neil’s body at Archer’s funeral home on December 20, 2018.
The cause of death she said was attributed to a gunshot wound to the head.
Dr. Neblett said there was a perforating gunshot wound to the right side of the head and that the entrance wound was located on the right temple.
She also said there was a muzzle imprint around the entrance wound and soot, which is gun powder, was in the wound tract.
She observed that the direction of the projectile was from right to left.
Neil’s family attorney, King’s Counsel KD Knight questioned Dr Neblett, if she had inquired if Neil was right or left handed.
To which she responded no. KC Knight then said Neil was left handed. KC Knight argued that his examination was being handicapped due to the absence of crime scene photographs from the police.
For his part, attorney-at law Christopher Honeywell, who represents Neil’s widow, sought clarity on whether there was evidence of Neil being poisoned. This he said was based on the wording in the autopsy report.
Dr. Neblett said she had no reason to believe there was poisoning.
Dr. Neblett clarified that the wording can be confusing due to the template used by the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine in autopsy reports. She said blood was taken only for DNA analysis, but not for toxicology.
Another witness, Deputy Superintendent Miguel Bernard also addressed the Coroner’s Court on Thursday.
DSP Bernard told the court that based on tests, he concluded that the bullet was discharged from Neil’s firearm.
Presiding judge, Coroner Monique Harrison had granted the application for the inquest last year. Coroner Harrison has asked that comments be disabled on social media posts and news websites relating to the case.
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