Veress needle, trocar insertion, pneumoperitoneum-related complications, biliary injuries apart from haemorrhage, intestinal injuries and lateral thermal injuries are all well described entities following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The development of intestinal ischaemia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy is rare; this report describes a case of fatal small bowel ischaemia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy and discusses the various possibilities that led to this event.