Diplomat's death a tragic accident, says Goff

4.05pm

The death of a New Zealand diplomat in the Solomon Islands appears to be a tragic accident with no one else involved, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff says.

Deputy New Zealand High Commissioner Bridget Nichols, 50, died from a single knife wound to just below her heart on March 17 at her home in a diplomatic compound in Honiara.

Solomons Police Commissioner Morton Sireheti today said there were "no suspicious circumstances surrounding this death and all evidence points towards accidental death". He did not anticipate any charges would be laid.

Mr Goff said he had no reason to doubt the findings of the investigation, which was jointly carried out by Solomons and New Zealand police. However, he accepted most people would be surprised by it.

"As unlikely as the outcome seems on the surface, I have no reason to discount their expertise or the thoroughness of their investigation," he told NZPA.

"It will be of limited consolation to the family in the sense that ... at least (they will have) some comfort from the conclusion that this at least was not the result of a criminal act."

Agence France Presse today reported police sources as saying Ms Nichols had driven into her home in a compound shared by another diplomatic residence and was checked in by security guards.

An extensive police investigation found no evidence of illegal entry into the compound.

Ms Nichols had brought with her personal effects, which she appeared to have been moving into her house, AFP reported the sources as saying.

They speculated that some of the items, including kitchen equipment, were in a string bag and Ms Nichols, or the bag, slipped and a knife had pierced her. She appeared to have put her bag down and pulled the knife out before going next door for help.

Mr Goff said he would have preferred such information had not come out until a magistrate's hearing in the Solomons next month, which would be similar to a New Zealand coroner's court hearing.

"I don't think that it is appropriate to pre-empt that hearing making the final determination ahead of the detailed information that was available to the police also being available to the public," he said.

New Zealand police had sent the best team available to them to do the investigation and he had "no grounds for not having confidence in the conclusion that that investigation reached".

Mr Goff believed New Zealand would have representatives at the hearing, including Detective Inspector Brian Pearce, who led the six-strong New Zealand investigation team.

- NZPA

Feature: Solomon Islands

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