Inquest hears anthropologist died in 'very unusual' circumstances

Nabila Walji’s death was said by pathologist Prof Ian Roberts to have been as a result of positional asphyxia. The 28-year-old Canadian woman, born with rare brain condition Dandy Walker malformation, was found with her head at an angle - leading to the compression of her airway.

Prof Roberts told her inquest this week that positional asphyxia was more typically seen in deaths involving intoxication, where the victim had fallen unconscious in a position that restricted their breathing.

But Ms Walji had no alcohol or drugs in her system, Oxford Coroner’s Court heard.

The cause of her collapse was thought to have either been a seizure linked to her long-controlled Dandy Walker condition or an asthma attack, with a post-mortem finding that the Oxford student had Covid-19 at the time of her death.

Senior coroner Darren Salter, quizzing Prof Roberts on Wednesday, said he ‘hesitated’ to describe Ms Walji’s death as a ‘freak incident’ but suggested it was a ‘very, very unusual incident’.

“It’s very, very unusual,” Prof Roberts agreed.

Asked questions by members of Alberta-born Ms Walji’s family, who had dialed into the inquest via a Microsoft Teams video link, the pathologist said that the woman’s asthma – said to have been mild previously – may have been ‘triggered’ by a viral infection.

“Nabila did have Covid at the time of her death and it may well have been the covid triggered the acute asthma,” he said.

Prof Roberts was unable to comment on whether her student room at Keble College’s HB Allen building in Banbury Road may not have been ‘conducive to her medical conditions’.

The woman’s family suggested that a police officer told them ‘he felt Nabila was trapped in that space and maybe the safety issue is the bigger concern here’.

The inquest heard that Ms Walji had complained of ill-health in the days before she was found dead in her room on April 26.

One flatmate told police in a statement that she had suffered a number of ‘panic attacks’ on April 24. They would be triggered by any ‘small movement’.

Two of her flatmates sat with her and checked on her again later that evening. The following day, both knocked on her door but did not get a response.

Her body was found on the evening of April 26 by one of the two flatmates, who raised the alarm. A college porter was fetched and the emergency services called. Her death was formally verified by a police officer at 9.11pm.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, the coroner described Ms Walji's as a ‘very sad and very unusual case’.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward