Diplomat's death trip re-enacted

The death of New Zealand diplomat Bridget Nichols in the Solomon Islands in March was the result of an accident, the Auckland Coroner's Court heard yesterday.

Coroner Sarn Herdson was told that Ms Nichols' death inside a New Zealand High Commission compound in Honiara was at first treated as a suspected homicide.

But an investigation involving senior New Zealand police officers and a forensic science team concluded Ms Nichols died from a single stab wound to the heart after the slightly-built woman fell while carrying a heavy box along a narrow and uneven pathway.

The knife had been pointing up in a woven bag she was carrying over her shoulder.

Pathologist Dr Simon Stables said the wound would have been potentially survivable if Ms Nichols had not pulled the knife out of her chest and had received emergency surgery.

An ambulance called to the compound to help Ms Nichols on Sunday, March 17, arrived after 20 minutes but left soon after to collect oxygen. Two nurses who arrived to help were sent away by Ms Nichols' neighbours who mistook them for "gratuitous onlookers".

A magistrate's hearing in Honiara last month concluded that Ms Nichols had suffered accidental death.

The Auckland Crown Solicitor, Simon Moore, appearing for the New Zealand police said the nature of the death had been compounded by "unhelpful rumours."

One rumour, the court heard, involved an altercation between the Honiara diplomatic community.

Ms Nichols arrived in Honiara as Deputy High Commissioner on February 15 after postings in Mexico City and Ankara. Mr Moore said that Ms Nichols enjoyed a reputation for reliability, diligence and hard work.

However on March 15 she left work early complaining that she was feeling sick.

On March 17 she was seen about 1pm eating some fruit and discarding a pip or a stone.

Mr Moore said the likely sequence of events was that she had hoped to catch up on work at the office.

She locked her house and set off for her garage where her locked car was parked.

About 2pm her neighbours in the Panatina compound compound, Christine and Wayne Holah, investigated a deep, strained cry for help and found Ms Nichols lying on her back outside their house.

Forensic scientist Dr Michael Taylor said a wallet containing more than $140 in Solomon Islands currency was found in Ms Nichols' shoulder bag.

The contents of a box were not strewn around. Dr Taylor said dimples in the bottom of the cardboard box were consistent with being caused by an impact with driveway stones.

He said the box and its contents weighed 11kg, which would have been heavy for the 45kg Ms Nichols to carry.

He produced a video recording showing a reconstruction of the accident that presumably befell Ms Nichols.

He said it appeared she intended approaching her car in the garage down some steps and along a "canyon-like pathway" which had protruding rocks, a step and a stormwater gutter.

The box was not only bulky and heavy but would have restricted her vision.

Questioned by the coroner about security breaches along the fence of the compound Dr Taylor said compound guards had the habit of taking a short cut home by going over the security fences.

Under further questioning from Ms Herdson about the risks and awkwardness of Ms Nichols' route and the added risks of carrying the box Dr Taylor said:

"The question occurred to us.

"Had she travelled that route ever before?"

The inquest continues today.