Diplomat was ‘strangled’ in Beirut killing
BRITISH diplomat Rebecca Dykes died from ligature compression of the neck, an inquest heard.
Ms Dykes, 30, was found dead beside a road out of Lebanese capital Beirut.
Ms Dykes, who worked for the Department for International Development, left in a taxi after a colleague’s leaving party in the Gemmayzeh district.
Tarek Hawchieh, 29, an Uber driver, was held after her death on December 16.
Southwark senior coroner Andrew Harris said a postmortem finding of “ligature compression of the neck…fits with circumstances the police have reported about this death”.
He said he had “reason to suspect unnatural death” but suspended the hearing pending judicial proceedings in Beirut.