Having reviewed the case, Dr Nathaniel Cary told the inquest, which is being led by Irish-born coroner Patrick Murphy, that it was his view Woolmer had "an acute medical event" leading to "a sudden natural death" rather than asphyxia brought about by manual strangulation, as had previously been thought.

But in what amounted to a cross-examination of the expert witness, the DPP, Kent Pantry, called into question Cary's opinions, repeatedly interrupted him and prevented him from elaborating on the answers he was giving.

"You cannot come to Jamaica and do your own thing. You will answer the questions I ask you and only when I ask them, " Pantry told him during one of several tense moments in Cary's evidence, which lasted for more than five hours.

Cary was clearly frustrated by Pantry's interruptions. "I swore to tell the whole truth and you are preventing me from doing that, " he said at one stage.

The inquest, which got under way on Tuesday, was set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding Woolmer's death in room 374 of the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, on 18 March last, the day after his side had been knocked out of the ICC Cricket World Cup by Ireland.

Two days later, the Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) indicated that it was treating the death as suspicious and on 21 March it was declared a murder investigation after the state pathologist, Dr Ere Sheshiah, concluded Woolmer had been strangled.

But with no leads, no suspect and no motive for the so-called murder, the JCF made little progress as speculation in the world's media went out of control.

As disquiet mounted over the processes employed by Sheshiah, opinions were sought from three independent pathologists, Dr Michael Pollanen, chief forensic pathologist, Ontario, Canada; Professor Lorna Jean Martin, head of forensic medicine and toxicology, Western Cape, South Africa; and Cary, consultant forensic pathologist with the London Metropolitan Police. All now maintain the cause of death was most likely natural causes.

Heeding these opinions, on 12 June police commissioner Lucius Thomas declared that the "JCF were too hasty" in announcing it as a murder.

Following heavy criticism for the JCF, particularly aimed at deputy commissioner Mark Shields, who led the investigation, it was thought the matter was effectively closed.

But the attitude of the DPP during the opening days of the coroner's inquest in Kingston has led many observers to think he is seeking to lead the evidence towards ensuring the jury returns a homicide or open verdict, thus vindicating the original post-mortem findings of Sheshiah, who stands by his report.

And amid suggestions from the DPP that poison may have been found in the deceased's system and statements that it was possible someone could have been hiding in the room opposite Woolmer's around the time of his death, the murder theories are being given credence once again.

But Cary was critical of the methods used in Sheshiah's post-mortem, saying the throat section, crucial in any case of manual strangulation, was compromised and was not dissected properly. In his report Sheshiah stated that the hyoid bone in the neck was fractured, giving further grounds to suspect strangulation, but Cary told the inquest that there was no evidence of any damage to the hyoid bone.

One thing is sure: Woolmer was not a well man. The inquest has heard he suffered from heart disease, diabetes, obesity, allergies and obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition that required him to wear a mask hooked up to a machine that helped keep his airways clear while asleep. Witnesses have testified that there was a smell of alcohol at the scene and at least one empty bottle of Moet champagne was found in his room. Also, the fact his team of top cricketers had just been beaten by rank outsiders Ireland would not have helped his stress levels.

The inquest has seen graphic evidence of Woolmer's postmortem, including video footage of Sheshiah taking off the top of his head with circular saw and removing the brain. Several members of the 11-person jury of six women and five men were seen to avert their eyes during some of the more gruesome moments.

Earlier, one of the witnesses, Pegasus Hotel chambermaid Bernice Robinson, described how she discovered Woolmer lying unconscious in his bathroom at around 10.30am on 18 March, surrounded by vomit and faeces.

"The door would not open as wide as it should so I pressed on it, " Robinson told the inquest.

"I pushed a little harder and saw a foot from behind. I panicked and I called to the person behind the door: 'Sir, sir, is everything OK?' But there was no response."

At that stage, the alarm was raised and, although a nurse and doctor arrived at the scene within minutes, Woolmer could not be revived. He was later pronounced dead at 12.14pm at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston.

The inquest is expected to continue until 9 November, during which time Sheshiah will take the stand. Also on the witness list are Mark Shields, as well as members of the Pakistan cricket team, including former captain Inzamam-ulHaq, former assistant coach Mushtaq Ahmed and former media manager PJ Mir. However, it is thought highly unlikely that any player or official from the Pakistan Cricket Board will turn up.