A high-profile conspiracy theorist has accused medical staff of gross negligence manslaughter in her daughter's death, an inquest has heard. Kay "Kate" Shemirani claims her 23-year-old daughter Paloma died due to medical intervention after collapsing at home in July last year.
Paloma Shemirani had declined conventional treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and was following an alternative treatment programme when she collapsed on July 19, 2024. She was taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton where she died five days later.
Mother blames paramedics for collapse
Ms Shemirani told Kent and Medway Coroner's Court in Maidstone that her daughter "deteriorated catastrophically" when paramedics arrived. She claimed that after paramedics administered adrenaline, "everything went horribly wrong" and Paloma went into "full circulatory collapse".
The conspiracy theorist, who was struck off as a nurse in 2021 for spreading Covid-19 misinformation, said she called a friend before calling an ambulance when her daughter collapsed. On the 999 call played to the court, Ms Shemirani was heard shouting "she's dying" to the operator.
Alternative treatment programme details
After a hospital stay in December 2023, Paloma had begun an alternative treatment programme including daily coffee enemas, a strict diet and green juices. Ms Shemirani insisted her daughter was "never a victim of coercion" and had made her own treatment choices.
Paloma's twin brother Gabriel Shemirani suggested that when Paloma was first diagnosed, she was considering chemotherapy before their parents pressured her against it. Ms Shemirani disputed this, saying her daughter "continued to improve physically" under alternative medicines.
Hospital treatment disputed
Ms Shemirani accused medical staff of giving Paloma medication without consent during her December 2023 hospital stay, claiming her daughter felt "pressured and bullied". She told the coroner she became "very suspicious and deeply concerned about what was happening".
On the morning Paloma collapsed, she had visited osteopath Nick Gosset, who described her as "a young lady who was in the last stages of a very difficult disease". However, Ms Shemirani disagreed, saying her daughter "was well" that morning and "was smiling and laughing".
Brain death declaration challenged
Paloma was declared brain stem dead on July 24, 2024, after nationally advised medical checks at Royal Sussex County Hospital. Ms Shemirani challenged this decision, claiming it was rushed and questioning UK brain stem testing procedures compared to those in the United States.
Dr Peter Anderson, the intensivist and anaesthetist on duty when Paloma died, explained he believed "the risk of deterioration and uncontrolled death was extremely high". Ms Shemirani accused the inquest of attempting to "shift focus" from what she called the "real" cause of her daughter's death.
The inquest continues.
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
