Legal representation for the couple embroiled in the death of a Dutch teen model was asked to leave the court room during the re-opened case’s inquest today.
Free Malaysia Today, who have been reporting from to proceedings detail that presiding coroner Mahyon Talib asked that Alex and Luna Johnson’s special counsel remove themselves from the room, as their clients were not showing up to testify, despite being subpoenaed by the prosecution. He also declined to accept a letter from the couple that explained their absence.
Ivana Smit, a 19-year-old Dutch model, fell to her death on 7 December 2017 after spending time with the couple at their Dang Wangi condo. Her body was found 14 stories below their 20th floor unit, naked, and without explanation over what prompted her untimely death.
GM Tan, their lawyer, apologized and explained that the couple were no longer in the country, and declined to confirm whether they would testify at any point during the eight-day inquest.
Calling their absence irresponsible, SN Nair, special counsel who is holding a watching brief for Smit’s family over the proceedings, said that it only added to suspicions that their role in her death played a greater part than they have alleged.
“They now risk being the prime suspects in Smit’s death,” he said.
FMT adds that Nair also drew attention to the fact that the couple managed to engage tabloid rag The Mail on Sunday for an exclu$ive interview concerning the case, during which they made a number of unsubstantiated allegations against Ivana. It is only fair that they answer questions regarding them, he posited.
“They must take the stand. If they are not going to testify, then their special counsel has no business here. He is sitting behind me here and making me uncomfortable,” Nair said.
Coroner Mahyon then told Tan to leave, agreeing that he had no business there if he could not even confirm if his clients would be attending future inquest dates.
Snap, gavel, and pop.
Although initially ruled an “accidental death,” Ivana’s family hired a private investigator, and conducted a second autopsy on her body.
Their investigator later confirmed that the report indicated that she had received a head injury before her fall, saying that while it was not significant enough to cause her death, it would have rendered her unconscious.
The pathologist elaborated that the lack of blood at the scene when she died adds further credence to the conclusion that the teenager was already dead when her body fell 14 stories onto a 6th-floor landing below.
Bruising on her arms are consistent with having been grabbed roughly before, or shortly after, she died.
Ecstasy levels in her blood at the time of death were “high enough to cause her death alone.”
In conclusion, though possible, it is highly improbable that she fell over the balcony, taking into consideration all of the injuries sustained before her death, he said.
It is not known when the couple left Malaysia, nor where they have gone.
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