Parents warned over court behaviour at cancer victim inquest

Dr Faramarz Shemirani was warned over his behaviour by the coroner (PA) Gareth Fuller

The parents of a Cambridge graduate who refused chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer have both been warned about their behaviour during an inquest into her death. Paloma Shemirani, 23, collapsed on July 19 last year and was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital where she died five days later.

She had earlier declined treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Her mother, Kay "Kate" Shemirani, a prominent online conspiracy theorist, and her father, Dr Faramarz Shemirani, who is "sympathetic" to his ex-wife's views, believe medical professionals are to blame for their daughter's death.

Coroner forced to leave court

Coroner Catherine Wood, presiding over the inquest at Kent and Medway Coroner's Court in Maidstone, left the court due to the behaviour of Miss Shemirani's parents on Tuesday afternoon. The disruption occurred during cross-examination when Dr Shemirani, who has a PhD in computational fluid dynamics, tried to ask his ex-wife's opinion of medical evidence despite repeated warnings.

"Mrs Shemirani, I've told you not to speak, I'll find you in contempt if you keep on speaking now," the coroner said. She told Dr Shemirani to "confine (yourself) to asking questions of this witness as a witness of fact."

When Dr Shemirani argued back through his video-link, the coroner said: "Dr Shemirani, challenge me by judicial review later." He replied: "Of course I will, of course I will."

Contempt warning issued

The situation escalated when Dr Shemirani continued asking questions the coroner had already ruled irrelevant. "I'm going to rise for a few minutes because I'm finding it incredibly difficult to keep you on track," said Ms Wood.

Dr Shemirani continued to speak until the coroner shouted "Dr Shemirani, listen." She then warned: "Your behaviour has been bordering on contemptuous to the court - when I make a ruling on something you cannot come back."

Medical evidence disputed

Mrs Shemirani also accused osteopath Nick Gosset of lying under oath earlier in the inquest. Mr Gosset treated Miss Shemirani the day she collapsed and said she had appeared to be in the "last stages of a very difficult disease."

He told the court that when he inspected her, he could feel lumps in her right shoulder going all the way up into her neck, which he identified as lymphoid mass. The osteopath said he "had never seen anything like it" in 43 years of practice.

Mr Gosset explained: "It was obvious to me that I was not the right person to be helping her, normally you see a patient like that, you would refer her (to a GP). Any referral was refused - when I suggested that the proper avenue of approach was through a normal, medical channel she dismissed it."

Mother disputes testimony

On Tuesday, Paloma's mother said "his statement under oath is completely opposed with the truth" and has argued her daughter was healthy the day she collapsed. Mrs Shemirani was struck off as a nurse in 2021 after spreading harmful misinformation about Covid-19.

The inquest, which was originally scheduled to conclude on Wednesday, had been extended as the evidence and questioning of witnesses had taken longer than anticipated. The proceedings continue on Wednesday.

Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.