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	Police Investigation into Woman's Fire Death Criticised By Natario Mckenzie The Tribune November 5, 2010 http://www.tribune242.com/sports/11052010_nm-inquest_news_pg1 THE police investigation into the fire death of a woman who had an "intimate" affair with a Catholic priest was criticised by an inquest jury and a coroner yesterday. Returning an open verdict on the circumstances of how hotel worker Nicola Gibson died, the jury forewoman claimed the police probe was not "thorough." Coroner William Campbell backed the jury's finding by saying the investigating officers focused on the priest's affair and not how Ms Gibson had died. Ms Gibson, 35, was found dead following a fire at her Faith Avenue apartment on the morning of July 21, 2006. Just a few hours prior to the gruesome discovery, Catholic priest Father David Cooper, who admitted to having been intimately involved with her, was found incoherent at the Holy Family rectory where a fire also occurred. After an hour of deliberations, the jury of six women and one man informed the court they had unanimously decided on an open verdict. Coroner William Campbell had left two verdicts to the jury. The first was that Ms Gibson had committed suicide. However the coroner informed jury members that if they found the evidence supporting a suicide was either insufficient or did not reach the requisite standard of proof, they would have to return with an open verdict. The jury forewoman told the court they had come to their decision based on three grounds. The first, she said, was that there was insufficient evidence to overwhelmingly prove suicide. The second, she said, was that based on the evidence, they could not rule out the possibility there had been a third person involved in the incidents. Thirdly, she said, they had found the police investigation into the matter had not been thorough. Rovilla Williamson, mother of the deceased, said after the verdict: "It wasn't one (a verdict) I totally wanted, but I know my daughter did not kill herself." In his summation of the case, Coroner Campbell noted that Ms Gibson had sustained widespread burns about her body but there was no evidence of trauma. He also pointed out there was no evidence of forced entry to the Holy Family rectory where Fr Cooper resided, nor Ms Gibson's apartment. According to the evidence, the fire at Ms Gibson's apartment began in a closet in her master bedroom upstairs around 5am. The keys to the Holy Family rectory were found in her possession. There was also a fire set at the bedroom door of Ms Gibson's son who was 14 years old at the time. The fire at the church rectory began in an upstairs closet shortly after 3am. Fire investigators concluded both fires had been intentionally set with the use of gasoline. The coroner noted that Fr Cooper had been ruled out as having started the fire at Ms Gibson's apartment as he at the time was hospitalised. The coroner also noted that the evidence of Cornelius Clyde, a friend of Ms Gibson was crucial. He had testified that on the night of Thursday, July 20, 2006, he went over to Ms Gibson's house and noticed that Fr Cooper was unconscious. He had also testified that around 1am Friday, Ms Gibson called him again - this time asking that she be picked up from the Balfour Avenue area, near the Robinson Road rectory. While not casting guilt on Mr Clyde, the coroner said his opportunity to exonerate himself was missed because police did not properly interrogate him. The coroner noted that their investigation seemed to have been focused on the priest's affair and not how Ms Gibson had died. Fr Cooper claimed Ms Gibson had invited him to her apartment for dinner on the night on July 20, 2006. He said his last coherent memory was of eating a bowl of souse at her apartment however he woke up on a hospital gurney. The priest claimed there had been tension in their relationship as he was trying to pull away, but she wanted their involvement to continue. Alfred Sears and Jeffrey Lloyd represented Fr Cooper at the inquest. Attorney Godfrey "Pro" Pinder represented Ms Gibson's mother, who was listed as an interested party. Contact: nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
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