Doctors Demand ’Proper’ Dr Kelly Inquest

A group of doctors are calling for an inquest into the death of government scientist David Kelly, insisting the verdict of suicide should be overturned.

By Jo Couzens

The specialist medics say the Hutton Inquiry’s finding of suicide was flawed.

Dr Kelly’s body was found six years ago in woods near his Oxfordshire home after he was revealed as the source of a report on the grounds for going to war in Iraq.

Instead of a coroner’s inquest, Lord Hutton was asked by then Prime Minister Tony Blair to conduct an investigation.

His inquiry concluded the 59-year-old died from blood loss as a result of cutting his wrist with a blunt gardening knife.

But according to the team of 11 specialist medics, a cut to the ulnar artery was "highly unlikely" to have caused a fatal haemorrhage.

One of the report’s authors, retired consultant in orthopaedic and trauma surgery David Halpin, said previous examinations into Dr Kelly’s death were "flawed".

Speaking to Sky News Online, he pointed out what he called two pieces of "central evidence" that were seemingly overlooked by the inquiry.

"No fingerprints were found on the knife," he said, "A man sweating with the fear of death confronting him, he would have left fingerprints on the handle of the knife."

He also said a log from a search helicopter, which flew over the spot where Mr Kelly’s body was found, throws up further inconsistencies.

"It showed that at 2.30am on the day he was found, there was no infra-red image in the wood at that time."

According to the Hutton inquiry, Dr Kelly’s body had already been there for over one hour, Mr Halpin told Sky News Online.
"I find these two facts disturbing," he said.

Mr Halpin also pointed out that Dr Kelly "knew all about the biology of death".

"Is it likely that this scientist would have chosen to end his life with a blunt (we were told) pruning knife and some compound pain killing tablets?"

Lord Hutton was charged with inquiring into the circumstances surrounding the death and not the cause itself and his inquiry did not have the same legal standards as a coroner’s inquest, Mr Halpin maintains.

"My interest is much less about the morbid aspects, the mysterious aspects. I’m interested in seeing our law served. We think that due process has been subverted in the case of Dr Kelly."

"There is evidence of a cover-up," said the 69-year-old, insisting the prominent germ and chemical warfare expert has had "less than half an inquest".

"I think it’s highly likely he was assassinated," he said.

"And if he was assassinated, and it isn’t our job to prove that, there would be a motive for making certain that the facts surrounding his death were obfuscated."

He went on: "I hold Tony Blair in the lowest estimation but I can’t say whether he had any part to play in this or not.

"But features like the rushed appointment of Lord Hutton are cause for concern."