A diabetic grandmother was found 'white and without a pulse' by a fellow guest during a slap therapy course, a court heard today.
There was 'no discussion' of calling a doctor or an ambulance for Danielle Carr-Gomm despite her being bed-bound and vomiting before becoming totally unresponsive, jurors were told.
Her condition had deteriorated as she took part in a three day fast whilst at the retreat run by alternative therapist Hongchi Xiao, who is accused of manslaughter.
Fellow attendee Kamen Filipov told the court Mrs Carr-Gomm was looking 'white and tired' when he left her before finding her without a heartbeat.
The 71-year-old died in 2016 after she stopped taking her insulin over the course of a four-day workshop run by Xiao, having been on the course to try to get rid of her type one diabetes.
Grandmother Danielle Carr-Gomm was found 'white and without a pulse' during a slap therapy course
Alternative Paida Lajin therapist Hongchi Xiao has been accused of manslaughter after allegedly refusing to call help for the gravely ill grandmother
A court artist drawing of Hongchi Xiao appearing at Winchester Crown Court. The therapist insisted that Ms Carr-Gomm's condition was a 'healing crisis' as there is 'darkness before dawn breaks'
Xiao is accused of her manslaughter after he allegedly refused to call for help despite her becoming gravely ill and 'howling' from pain.
The 61-year-old practitioner of paida lajin is said to have known of the fatal risks of a type 1 diabetic not taking their insulin because Mrs Carr-Gomm became extremely unwell at his previous workshop and because a six year old boy died during another of his retreats.
Jurors have been told the self-professed healer has an 'unshakeable' belief that Western medicine is 'evil' and claimed Mrs Carr-Gomm's worsening condition was a 'healing crisis' because there is 'darkness before dawn breaks'.
Xiao said paida lajin, which involves patients being slapped and slapping themselves in certain areas and stretching, is a holistic self-healing therapy which can cure many diseases and conditions including diabetes.
Following Mrs Carr-Gomm's death at the workshop at Cleeve House in Melksham, Wiltshire, in October 2016, Xiao is now on trial at Winchester Crown Court, Hampshire, and denies manslaughter.
Today jurors were read a statement from Mr Filipov, who attended alongside Mrs Carr-Gomm in 2016, having met at a different one of Xiao's retreats earlier that year in Bulgaria.
Mr Filipov said she was 'adamant' she did not want to take her insulin and took part in a fast in the Bulgaria retreat.
During this time, he said she became unwell as she had 'no energy' and 'no power'.
In his witness statement read to the court, he said: 'She really wanted to get off her insulin and discussed going down to half her dose.'
After the Bulgaria workshop, he said the two booked onto another of Xiao's seminars, this time at Cleeve House.
Mr Filipov said fasting began on the third day, alongside slapping, stretching and wall hitting - where attendees fall back into a wall.
Xiao allegedly 'congratulated' Mrs Carr-Gomm (pictured) after she informed him she had stopped her insulin medication
He said that although the fasting was supposed to last three days, he 'first became aware' she was unwell on October 18.
The court heard she missed a seminar and stayed in her room because she was feeling 'unwell' and later vomited.
The next day, Mr Filipov said she 'appeared to have ill health' as she was 'looking white and tired'.
However, he said she refused any food brought to her and would only accept tea.
It was heard she fell from her bed and her mattress was moved onto the floor as a precaution.
'Danielle looked unwell,' he said, 'and wasn't really responsive.
'[Another attendee] was looking after her and seemed to know what to do.
'There was no discussion about calling for a doctor or an ambulance.
'There was no conversation with Danielle while I was there.'
Mr Filipov said he went to bed on October 19, before waking up in the early hours of October 20 when he went to check on her.
'I asked how Danielle was and [heard] she was 'sleeping like a baby',' he said.
'I found she was white and without a pulse.'
The court heard this prompted her resuscitation attempts to start, as she was given mouth to mouth and an ambulance was called.
Jurors sitting on his three week trial were shown footage of his seminar in March 2015 in which he encourages participants to slap their arms 'just to see what happens'
Xiao, from Cloudbreak, California, is accused of knowingly ignoring the consequences of Mrs Carr-Gomm stopping taking her insulin and using his 'influence' over her.
She saw him as a 'messenger sent by God' and believed he could cure her diabetes, it has been heard.
In 2019 Xiao was convicted of manslaughter in Australia after a six-year-old boy with type 1 diabetes died at his workshop in April 2015, having stopped taking his insulin at the instruction of Xiao.
At the Wiltshire workshop in October 2016, Mrs Carr-Gomm stopped taking insulin on the first day but showed severe symptoms and was heard 'howling in pain'.
Xiao claims through paida lajin - which means slap and stretch in Chinese - patients can unblock their 'meridian systems' and cure diseases.
The trial continues.