Death was inevitable

Mottley could not be saved by medical intervention, says surgeon

There was nothing that could have been done to save Warren Mottley’s life.

That is the view of the principal of Surgical Solutions Inc, Dr Sahle Griffith, who today told a Coroner’s Inquest that Mottley’s small bowel ischemia was at such an advanced stage no medical procedure would have kept him alive.

Dr Griffith was back on the witness stand for a second successive day for cross examination as the Coroner’s Inquest into Mottley’s death continued before Coroner Graveney Bannister in the No.10 Supreme Court.

Warren, the younger brother of Prime Minister Mia Mottley, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on June 29, 2021, a week after a routine colonoscopy at Surgical Solutions.

Under cross examination from Faye Finisterre, who is representing the Mottley family, Dr Griffith said Warren Mottley’s small bowel “was dying” and was at a stage where it could not be reversed.

“It was non survivable from the beginning,” Dr Griffith said.

“So you are telling this court at no point in time there was anything you could have done to save Warren Mottley’s life?” Finisterre asked him.

“No,” the witness responded. “His bowel was already dying.”

Dr Griffith, who is also Head of Surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), said the colonoscopy and laparoscopy surgeries which he performed on Mottley at Surgical Solutions had no impact on his death.

“In his case, knowing what I know now, he would have had significant problems had we done his surgery at the QEH; had we moved him to the ICU at the QEH immediately post-op, had we left him alone. He would have had ischemia of the small bowel.

“I am suggesting, as painful as it is and as difficult as it is, Mr Mottley had ischemic bowel at the point when he was first diagnosed. The level of bowel ischemia seen at the end of his process was not compatible with survival,” Dr Griffith contended.

“…It was not related to any of the prior procedures done to Mr Mottley. His ischemic bowel was a process that was ongoing and he would have died from ischemic bowel regardless…The laparoscopic surgery had nothing to do with it.”

Dr Griffith, however, admitted that he was unaware Mottley was suffering from septic shock, hours after he underwent the laparoscopic surgery on June 27, 2021. He said while Mottley was treated for shock, it was not identified as septic shock until hours later.

He maintained there were no indicators that Mottley had septic shock.

Dr Griffith said if he had known there was a perforation of Mottley’s small bowel at the time, he would have performed surgery on him “and achieved source control.”

He said it was only known Mottley was suffering from septic shock at around 3 p.m. on June 28, 2021.

Dr Griffith said a decision was made to call an ambulance to transfer Mottley to the QEH at around 8 a.m. on June 28.

However, he pointed out that an ambulance that had been placed on standby at Island Care, was not available.

Dr Griffith said he only reached out to the QEH for an ambulance around midday.