'Therapy healer failed to get help as woman died' in Wiltshire

Danielle Carr-Gomm died at Cleeve House in Seend, where she was taking part in the workshop in October 2016.

The workshop promoted Paida Lajin therapy, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

Hongchi Xiao, of Cloudbreak, California, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Mrs Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex.

The court heard the 61-year-old led the workshop, which “evangelised” a slapping therapy as an alternative to life-saving insulin medication.

READ MORE: 'Slapping therapy' accused denies manslaughter charge

Danielle Carr-Gomm (Image: SWNS)

Duncan Atkinson, prosecuting, told the jury that Mrs Carr-Gomm had sought alternatives to her insulin medication for type 1 diabetes because of her vegetarianism and fear of needles.

She had first joined a Paida Lajin workshop – which means “slap and stretch” – run by the defendant in Bulgaria in July 2016.

Mr Atkinson explained that during the Bulgarian session, Mrs Carr-Gomm stopped taking her insulin.

He said: “She became extremely unwell, starting to vomit and became hard to reason with.

“She had to be persuaded to start taking her insulin again before she recovered.

“The defendant was present, spoke to her about taking insulin, and was in a position to see the effects on Mrs Carr-Gomm both of her ceasing to take her insulin and of restarting the injections.”

Mr Atkinson said that Mrs Carr-Gomm went on to attend the defendant’s workshop in Wiltshire in October of that year.

Again, she stopped taking her insulin and fell seriously ill before she died on the fourth day after Xiao had failed to seek medical help for her, he told the court.

He continued: “He knew that Mrs Carr-Gomm was risking death, and he knew that he had an influence over her decision.

“In short, therefore he chose to congratulate a diabetic who stopped injecting, rather than to persuade them not to take so grievous a risk to their life.”

Xiao (Image: PA)

He described how Mrs Carr-Gomm became “increasingly and seriously unwell” and by the second day she “could be heard crying and yelling whilst laying on her bed”.

By the third day, “she was vomiting, tired and weak, and by the evening she was howling in pain and unable to respond to questions,” Mr Atkinson said.

He added: “In that period of increasing danger, the medical evidence is that Mrs Carr-Gomm’s life could have been saved if medical aid was called.

“By the time that such medical aid was finally called on day 4, October 20, 2016, it was too late, and Danielle Carr-Gomm had died of diabetic ketoacidosis as a direct result of the decision to stop taking her insulin injections.

“He assumed a position of leadership and control over Mrs Carr-Gomm and her care as she declined and died, and he owed her a duty, which he failed to meet, to help and care for her.”

Charles Row KC, defending Xiao, who denies the charge, told the jury that the defendant denied having a duty of care over Mrs Carr-Gomm who he had made “absolutely clear” to that he was not medically trained.

He said that Xiao had told her not to suddenly stop taking her insulin.

He added: “The defendant’s case is that Danielle Carr-Gomm was a law unto herself, a strong, driven and independent woman.

“The degree of influence he had over Danielle Carr-Gomm is very much an issue, as is the question of whether he assumed responsibility for her safety.”

Mr Row added that the defendant claimed that his actions were not causative of Mrs Carr-Gomm’s death, and he had not breached a duty of care for her.

Xiao denies the charge of manslaughter and the trial continues.