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 that 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.
McKenna, who is in Sweden, declined to give evidence and was warned adverse findings could be made against him
Witness Ida Topic, who said Foord was a friend and “spirit mum” to her, met 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, Foord was “freaking out and panicking”, and McKenna had interjected and said everything was going to be fine, Topic said.
Foord’s partner Con Ninos had checked on her three times throughout the session.
Lawyers assisting the coroner said that when Foord ’s partner found her “lifeless and not responding”, he asked the shaman 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,” Counsel assisting 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 the shaman if Foord had consumed anything and he said “no”.
“His response was obviously a lie,” Dudzinski said.
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 Foord had not ingested a combination of psilocybin mushrooms and MDMA, she would not have died, he said.
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