Alternative healer jailed for 10 years over woman’s death at slapping workshop

An alternative healer has been jailed for 10 years for the manslaughter of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who stopped taking insulin at his slapping therapy workshop.

Danielle Carr-Gomm died at Cleeve House in Seend, Wiltshire, in October 2016 while taking part in the Paida Lajin therapy event, which sees patients being slapped or slapping themselves repeatedly.

Hongchi Xiao, of Cloudbreak, California, was convicted by a jury in July at Winchester Crown Court of manslaughter by gross negligence after he failed to get medical help for Mrs Carr-Gomm, from Lewes, East Sussex.

He was also sentenced to a further five years on extended licence after his time in prison.

The 61-year-old was extradited for the trial from Australia, where he had previously been prosecuted after a six-year-old boy also died when his parents withdrew his insulin medication after attending the defendant’s workshop in Sydney.

The court heard that Mrs Carr-Gomm, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1999, was “howling in pain” and “frothing at the mouth” as she became seriously ill before she died on the fourth day of the workshop.

In a broadcast sentencing of Xiao on Friday, Mr Justice Bright said: “I sentence you on the basis you knew from late in the afternoon of day one of the fact that Danielle Carr-Gomm had stopped taking her insulin. Furthermore you made it clear to her you supported this.”

The judge said Xiao made a “token effort” to get her to take her insulin which was too little, too late, and showed “no real sign of clear remorse” as he continues to practice and promote Paida Laijin in prison.

“I consider you dangerous even though you do not share the characteristics of most other dangerous offenders,” he added.

The court heard Xiao has been in prison for more than seven years since he was extradited from London to Australia for his trial there, before he was extradited back to the UK last year for this case.

The judge told Xiao he would be released after serving two-thirds of his prison term, and would be liable to be deported back to the US where he is a citizen.

In mitigation, Charles Row KC, defending, said that Xiao had “deep regret and sorrow” for what had happened, recognised the weaknesses in his teachings and would not conduct workshops in the same way again.

“His ego, his belief in healing crisis got in the way of what actually he was doing,” he said.

“He ignored the dangerous symptoms of disease, put too much emphasis on side effects of medication.”

Mr Row added: “His attitude has changed and he has shown a degree of understanding.”

But Mr Justice Bright added: “I am sure you do not present a danger to anyone save in relation to Paida Laijin.

“However, I see no chance you will renounce the practice of Paida Laijin … furthermore, I am concerned there is a real risk that in doing so you may actively or tacitly encourage your followers to reduce or stop your medication.

“I am certain that when you have finished serving your sentence, there is a significant risk that yet again history may repeat itself.”

Jurors were told Mrs Carr-Gomm had sought alternatives to her insulin medication because of her vegetarianism and fear of needles.

The court heard that she had provided a testimonial for Xiao, describing him as a “messenger sent by God” who was “starting a revolution to put the power back in the hands of the people to cure themselves and to change the whole system of health care”.

She joined the Paida Lajin workshop, which means “slap and stretch”, run by Xiao in Wiltshire in October 2016, having attended another in Bulgaria in July, where she also stopped her insulin medication and became seriously ill before recovering.

The court had heard that Xiao said “well done” to Mrs Carr-Gomm, after she told the participants in Wiltshire that she had stopped taking her insulin at the week-long retreat, and she again became seriously ill.

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”, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC said.

A chef at the workshop, Teresa Hayes, told jurors she wanted to call an ambulance but trusted those with more experience of the holistic healing method.

Mr Atkinson described how the defendant failed to get medical help for Mrs Carr-Gomm before she died in the early hours of the fourth day.

The prosecutor said: “Those who had received and accepted the defendant’s teachings misinterpreted Mrs Carr-Gomm’s condition as a healing crisis.”

He said Xiao had been an “exponent” of Paida Lajin for 10 years and had written a book on it.

Mr Atkinson said: “It is said to be a method of self-healing in which ‘poisonous waste’ is expelled from the body through patting and slapping parts of the body.”

He added: “He does not have medical qualifications or training.”

Mrs Carr-Gomm was born in France and moved to the UK aged 21.

After her death, her son Matthew Carr-Gomm, who lives in New Zealand, said: “She was always keen to try and find alternative methods of treating and dealing with her diabetes, and was very interested in alternative and holistic medicine and therapies.

“I know she was desperate to try and cure herself of this disease.

“She always maintained a healthy lifestyle and was adamant that nothing would stop her from living a full life.

“In recent years, mum was in a great place with a partner, a lovely home and was travelling the world. She had a lot of life left in her.”

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Walker, of the Major Crime Investigation Team at Wiltshire Police, said: “This has been an extremely complex investigation, with nearly eight years having passed since Danielle’s sad death.

“This passage of time, which has been out of our control, has of course added further challenges and complications to the investigation, but I am pleased that a custodial sentence has now been given to Xiao.

“He had no medical qualifications yet, despite this, was actively encouraging those in attendance at his workshops to refrain from taking their regular medication, knowing full well the consequences.

“Xiao’s not-guilty plea has only shown the little remorse he has over Danielle’s death and has made an already extremely difficult and upsetting process for Danielle’s family even more prolonged and distressing.

“Danielle was a mother and a grandmother who enjoyed life and had a love of travelling – her death came as a huge shock to her family and friends and our thoughts are very much with them at this time.”