Doctor referred to prosecutors after slicing open wife’s throat
By Erin Pearson
A doctor who sliced open his wife’s throat with a kitchen knife, claiming she was choking, has been referred to prosecutors for suspected negligent manslaughter after she died.
Paramedics found Mayumi Spencer, 29, dead in the Docklands apartment she shared with husband Peter Spencer in January 2015 with high levels of cocaine in her system.
Mayumi Spencer, 29, died in her Docklands apartment.
Spencer, a registered sleep physician, had waited more than three hours to call an ambulance, telling authorities he sliced his wife’s throat open with a kitchen knife and pen, believing she was choking.
State Coroner John Cain on Friday found he could not rule out the possibility Mayumi had died from homicide and noted there was a background of family violence in the relationship.
He said Spencer, who made an unsuccessful attempt to suppress his name from the public, might have committed negligent manslaughter because of the delays in seeking urgent medical assistance and his duty of care.
“I believe an indictable offence may have been committed in connection with Mrs Spencer’s death,” Cain said.
Peter Spencer is a registered sleep physician.
“I convey my sincere condolences to Mrs Spencer’s family for their loss.”
The coroner heard that on the night of January 16, 2015, the couple went out for dinner and to a bar with friends before returning home about 1.10am.
Spencer told investigators that about 4am, his wife had a fit and began vomiting. He said he attempted to resuscitate her before, believing she had blockage in her throat, he attempted to perform a cricothyroidotomy on her.
“This procedure was unsuccessful,” Cain said.
The coroner referred Spencer to prosecutors.
Shortly after 7.30am, Spencer called emergency services and reported that his wife had stopped breathing. Paramedics arrived 20 minutes later.
There, they told police Spencer appeared to be attempting “pretty gentle” cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
“Her temperature was taken and noted to be 33.2 degrees, which suggested that she had been deceased for a considerable amount of time,” the coroner said.
“Cocaine was located inside a blood-stained hand vacuum in the apartment, and a bloodstained towel, syringes and plastic bags containing cocaine were found under some clothes inside the washing machine.”
State Coroner John Cain.
An examination of Mayumi’s body later uncovered superficial injuries to her left breast, and cocaine in her system.
Her cause of death was found to be due to cocaine toxicity.
A medical examination of Spencer at a nearby police station by a forensic physician noted bruised veins that appeared to be needle track marks on the inner crease of both elbows.
Mayumi, who was born in Japan, met her husband in 2006 while he was visiting the country and moved to Australia where she worked as a business manager for him, performing billing and invoicing.
But the coroner said the evidence suggested Mayumi was a victim of family violence.
“Mrs Spencer stated to friends that Dr Spencer had kicked her out of their house on several occasions late at night, punched her in the jaw, slapped her, pushed her over and hit her, sent her abusive messages calling her a ‘piece of shit’ and a ‘whore’ and, on one occasion, had allegedly injected her with cocaine against her wishes,” Cain said.
“It was also alleged that Dr Spencer made threats to kill Mrs Spencer and himself, exhibited jealous behaviour, monitored Mrs Spencer’s email and Facebook and only permitted her to meet with her friends when he was present.
“On at least one occasion, Mrs Spencer advised a friend that she was scared of Dr Spencer.”
In July 2012, Mayumi temporarily moved out of their home and told her husband she wanted a divorce before they later reconciled after he threatened to kill himself.
At the time, she told friends she was unable to return to her home country of Japan because Spencer had her passport.
In a statement to police, made after his wife’s death, Spencer admitted the pair fought a lot at the start of their relationship but maintained that more recently the relationship had been “really good”.
Cain said while he was unable to determine whether Mayumi would have survived if emergency services had been called sooner, he believed an indictable offence might still have occurred.
Spencer now runs what he refers to online as a free “health and wellness website” called Dr Lifepro, where he regularly shares photographs and videos of himself working out to his more than 7000 followers.
Cain said despite “a thorough and comprehensive criminal investigation”, no charges had ever been laid over the woman’s death.
Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter here.