Kelly family's tough questions for MoD

Gompertz accused the MoD of a "cynical and irresponsible" strategy

Dr David Kelly's family barrister has suggested at the Hutton inquiry that the dead scientist was treated "shabbily" by the Ministry of Defence.

Jeremy Gompertz QC also suggested the MoD had designed a "parlour game" for journalists to identify Dr Kelly as the suspected source for the BBC's Iraq dossier story.

Martin Howard, the MoD's deputy director of defence intelligence, rejected the charges as he insisted the government had not tried to covertly reveal Dr Kelly's identity to the media.

The inquiry into the scientist's death has heard from more than 60 witnesses already but Mr Howard was the first to face cross-examination from lawyers for the BBC, Dr Kelly's family or the government.

KEY WITNESSES Tuesday: Pathologist Mr Hunt; MoD deputy chief defence intelligence Martin Howard Wednesday: BBC defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan; BBC news director Richard Sambrook Thursday: MoD personnel director Richard Hatfield; MoD permanent secretary Sir Kevin Tebbit Monday 22nd: Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon; Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell Tuesday 23rd: Prime minister's official spokesman Tom Kelly and Godric Smith; Joint Intelligence Committee chairman John Scarlett; BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies Wednesday 24th: Dr Kelly's MoD line manager Bryan Wells Thursday 25th: Closing submissions Full witness list Questions for Hutton

Dr Kelly's apparent suicide came after newspapers named him as the government's suspected source for BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan's report of claims that Downing Street "sexed up" last September's dossier on Iraqi weapons.

His identity emerged one day after the MoD issued a press statement saying an unnamed official had come forward to admit meeting Mr Gilligan.

The inquiry has heard that MoD press officers had a "question and answer" sheet prepared which included the instruction to confirm Dr Kelly's name if put to them by journalists.

Mr Gompertz suggested the strategy "amounted to a parlour game for journalists... a form perhaps of 20 questions, though 21 in the case of the Times" - the newspaper which put that number of names to the MoD before having Dr Kelly's identity confirmed.

Mr Howard denied this, saying: "We are not responsible for how the media put their questions to the press office."

He said the ministry had little option but to confirm Dr Kelly's name if put to them.

The MoD official insisted the strategy was not like a game of "Russian roulette", nor a "cynical and irresponsible" strategy to name Dr Kelly.

The inquiry heard early drafts of the question and answer sheet for press officers said "there is nothing to gain by revealing the name".

HAVE YOUR SAY The inquiry continues to reveal things the government would love to keep hidden Alex Wilson, Scotland Send us your comments

But the final version said: "If the correct name is given, we can confirm it".

Asked who decided Dr Kelly should be publicly named, Mr Howard replied: "It is hard to say that any one person should be publicly identified.

"The fact that his name should be confirmed was set out in the Q&A brief and that was approved by Sir Kevin Tebbit (the MoD's top civil servant)."

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon had not been present when the question and answer sheet and press statement were agreed, he said, although the minister's private secretary had attended from time to time.

Consent?

Mr Gompertz suggested the information in the press statement, the question and answer sheet and Downing Street briefings together meant "any able journalist with a little research would be able to identify Dr Kelly".

Mr Howard said the details which emerged might have helped but would not inevitably have been the only way to identify Dr Kelly.

Dr Kelly had agreed to a draft of the press statement, he said.

Dr Kelly's body was found slumped against a tree

He did not believe the scientist had ever been asked if he consented to having his identity released but Dr Kelly had known his name was likely to come out.

MoD chief press officer Kate Wilson said the ministry was never in a position to prevent Dr Kelly's name coming out.

She also said Mr Gilligan had not given her advance notice of his specific Iraq dossier story when they spoke the night before the broadcast about another story.

Earlier, Dr Nicholas Hunt, the pathologist who examined the body as it was slumped against a tree in an Oxfordshire woodland, said there were at least five cuts to Dr Kelly's left wrist.

The wrist wounds were typical of self-inflicted injury, said Dr Hunt.

He said bruises and minor grazes on Dr Kelly's body may have been caused by him "stumbling" to the scene.

But there were no signs of defensive injuries that would occur as a result of somebody trying to parry blows from a weapon, he said.

Neither was there evidence of the scientist being restrained, strangled or dragged to the woodland spot.

Dr Hunt said the major cause of the scientist's death were the wounds to his wrist and the overdose of prescription painkiller Coproxamol and the narrowing of arteries to his heart.

Also on Tuesday Dr Andy Shuttleworth, Dr Kelly's resource manager at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), said the scientist had been "concerned but not bitter" about worries about his pay and civil service grading.

And Dr Shuttleworth said briefing journalists was part of Dr Kelly's work for both the UN and British Government.