Source : Perth Now news
A shaman healer was trying to “save his own skin” when he told a woman’s partner to lie to authorities about her use of magic mushrooms, a court has been told.
An inquest is investigating the death of Adelaide fashion entrepreneur Carol Foord, 72, who took magic mushrooms as an alternative treatment shortly before her death in June 2024.
In closing submissions on Wednesday, counsel assisting Greg Dudzinski recommended the findings be “made available” to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The inquest, before coroner Emma Roper, has heard evidence Ms Foord was fearful and anxious over her motor neurone diagnosis.
She wanted to try magic mushrooms to treat her anxiety and had been introduced to shaman healer Noah McKenna.
Mr McKenna, who is in Sweden, declined to give evidence and was warned adverse findings could be made against him.
Witness Ida Topic, who said Ms Foord was a friend and “spirit mum” to her, met Mr McKenna days before she died.
“He said they were going to take three to four grams, and let the mushroom guide the journey, and it would be a beautiful experience,” she said.
However, in a phone call on the day of her death Ms Foord was “freaking out and panicking”, and Mr McKenna had interjected and said everything was going to be fine, Ms Topic said.
Ms Foord’s partner Con Ninos had checked on her three times throughout the session.
Mr Dudzinksi said that when Mr Ninos found Ms Foord “lifeless and not responding”, he asked Mr McKenna: “What the f*** is going on? What have you done?”
“Mr McKenna said to Mr Ninos that he had to hide some things, but he can’t say anything about the mushrooms to the triple-zero operator,” Mr Dudzinski said.
“He was just doing what Mr McKenna, who was trying to save his own skin, told him to do.”
A paramedic at the scene asked Mr McKenna if Ms Foord had consumed anything and he said “no”.
“His response was obviously a lie,” Mr Dudzinski said.
Ms Foord suffered a cardiac arrest and died later in hospital.
“Mr McKenna has provided Ms Foord with mushrooms laced with MDMA, so that the intensity of her trip was as profound as possible,” he said.
“My further submission is that Ms Foord did not know about this, and that Mr McKenna did not tell her.”
If Ms Foord had not ingested a combination of psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA, she would not have died, he said.
“I also submit that on balance, if proper medical intervention had been engaged sooner, that Ms Foord’s death was also preventable.”
In a written submission, Ms Foord’s sister Barbara Komazec, said her sister had been failed by her partner and Mr McKenna.
“They were too worried about their own self-preservation to attend to my sister,” she said.
Mr McKenna had “provided pseudo medical treatment in an unregulated environment in circumstances where he was ill-equipped to do so”, Mr Dudzinski said.
“People should be sceptical about persons like Mr McKenna and should consult with proper medical professionals before attempting any similar kind of alternative treatments.”
He submitted a recommendation should be made to the health minister to consider public education on the risk of alternative medicine.
