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Who was Helen Smith and how did the British nurse die in Saudi Arabia?
MYSTERY still surrounds the deaths of nurse Helen Smith and tugboat captain Johannes Otten after they 'fell' from a balcony in Saudi Arabia more than 46 years ago.
Here's everything we know about Helen and the suspicious circumstances surrounding her passing, which are investigated in a new C4 documentary.
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Who was Helen Smith?
Helen Linda Smith was a 23-year-old nurse from Yorkshire.
In 1978, she moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to take up a nursing post.
Helen was enjoying her new home, writing home about her positive experiences in the Arab state.
However, her life was cut tragically short on May 20, 1979, in circumstances that would become one of Britain's most controversial international cases.
Suspicious circumstances
Helen Smith died after allegedly falling from a sixth-floor balcony during a party at the home of Richard and Penny Arnot in Jeddah.
Her body, along with that of Dutch tugboat captain Johannes Otten, was found in the street below.
She was discovered lying dead fully clothed, aside from her underwear, which was partly removed.
He was impaled on spiked railings with his underpants around his thighs.
The party had been attended by several expatriates, including a diver from New Zealand named Tim Hayter, marine biologist Jacques Texier and four German salvage operators.
The party itself was illegal under Saudi law, as alcohol was present and consumed in a country where it is strictly forbidden.
Sexual encounter
Testimony from Jacques Texier indicated that a sexual encounter between Mr Hayter and Mrs Arnot was taking place at the time of the deaths, further complicating the investigation.
This led to the prosecution of Mrs Arnot for "unlawful intercourse" and a sentence of eighty lashes for Richard Arnot for supplying alcohol — though the sentences were never carried out.
Official explanation
Supported by British diplomats, Saudi authorities quickly ruled the deaths as accidental, stating Helen and Johannes fell from the balcony while drunk, possibly during or after a sexual encounter.
However, Helen's father Ron Smith, a former policeman, immediately doubted this explanation.
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He traveled to Saudi Arabia to examine his daughter's body and became convinced that she was murdered.
Ron believed there was a cover-up to protect diplomatic relations and the reputations of those involved.
His campaign for justice lasted decades — he refused to allow Helen's burial, keeping her body in a Leeds mortuary for 30 years in the hope of uncovering new forensic evidence.
His efforts led to a 15-day inquest in 1982, which returned an open verdict.
Ron's persistence even contributed to changes in UK law regarding inquests into the violent deaths of British citizens abroad.
Key changes include:
Duty for inquests on repatriation: Coroners in England and Wales are now required to investigate deaths that occurred abroad if the body is repatriated and the death appears violent, unnatural, or the cause is unknown. This is set out in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, Chapter 1, which obligates coroners to hold inquests in such cases, regardless of where the death took place, as long as the body is brought back to their jurisdiction.
Clear criteria for inquests: The law now specifies that an inquest must be held if the death was violent, unnatural, or the cause is unknown, or if the person died in custody or state detention—even if the death occurred overseas.
Comprehensive investigations: These inquests can involve extensive investigations, including witness and expert testimony, to establish who died, and how, when, and where the death occurred.
Consistency Across the UK: While the process differs slightly in Scotland and Northern Ireland, similar reforms have ensured that coroners (or the Lord Advocate in Scotland) can investigate deaths abroad when the body is repatriated.
Some expert testimony at the inquest suggested Helen's injuries were not consistent with a simple fall, raising further suspicions of foul play.
Her body was finally cremated in 2009, three decades after her death, following her parents' decision to allow burial before their own passing.
Helen Smith's death remains officially classified as accidental
Death in the Desert: The Nurse Helen Mystery
Channel 4 has made a documentary about the death of Helen Smith.
It looks into the suspicions of Helen's family and investigates whether new information can help shed any light on the case.
Death in the Desert: The Nurse Helen Mystery airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday, June 23, 2025.
