Verbal wrestling at the Hutton inquiry

By Mark Davies BBC News Online political reporter at the Hutton Inquiry

As Richard Hatfield strode purposefully out of the court room after his evidence to the Hutton Inquiry, someone in the public seating quietly murmured: "I wonder what they fed him for breakfast."

Whatever it was, it certainly had an effect. Mr Hatfield, personnel director at the Ministry of Defence, was feisty, defiant and occasionally impatient under cross-examination by Jeremy Gompertz QC, representing the family of Dr David Kelly.

First he fairly bounded up to the witness box when asked to do so, flashing Lord Hutton a cheery smile.

Mr Hatfield was in feisty mood

Then, during a short break midway through the morning he leant against a wall vigorously chewing gum. Arms crossed, he stared ahead at nothing in particular ahead of him like a sprinter waiting for the starting gun. Man, this guy was in the zone.

And his quickfire approach contrasted sharply with that of Mr Gompertz, whose style is more that of a long distance runner: pace yourself and attack when the time is right.

Indeed, while government lawyer Jonathan Sumption jigs around the lectern when he's at the helm, Mr Gompertz barely moves, slowly, carefully enunciating his questions with a well spoken slightly disbelieving air.

So, like two people who can hardly bear the sight of each other but have to make a show of geniality, they conducted matters through almost entirely gritted teeth.

Pattern

Mr Gompertz rolled out a question in his world weary tones: Mr Hatfield listened intently, seeming barely able to contain his desire to fire back his answer staccato-style.

And soon it began to follow a pattern as the MoD man was questioned about his role in the eventual naming of Dr Kelly as the official who had met BBC correspondent Andrew Gilligan.

You could almost imagine what would happen if they'd decided to continue the session over lunch.

Mr Gompertz: "Can I ask you, Mr Hatfield, whether you intend in the near future to place a certain amount of salt on the sandwiches in your packed lunch in order to add to their flavour?"

Mr Hatfield: "I do."

"You do?"

The media have made all sorts of statements about me, about what I did and didn't do Richard Hatfield

"I certainly do."

"I see. Can I put it you then, Mr Hatfield, that in doing so you raise the prospect of ruining the delicate flavours of the items so carefully prepared for you by Mrs Hatfield?"

"I do not accept that."

"You don't?"

"I certainly don't."

And so it would go on. Occasionally Mr Hatfield would shut his eyes to signal irritation, or just glower over his spectacles at Mr Gompertz.

And he was in no mood to change his position, repeatedly referring to his previous evidence. It was "extraordinary" that Dr Kelly had not read the MoD guidelines on press contacts. The "fundamental failing" in the scientist's actions had not been to report his meeting with Mr Gilligan to the MoD.

Yes, he was "a tremendous expert - but his rank was quite certainly middle ranking".

Dr Kelly had been told very clearly that his name might come out and accepted that. He was given "outstanding" support throughout. And moreover, Mr Hatfield said he knew himself what it's like to be in the public eye.

Confirmed

"The media have made all sorts of statements about me, about what I did and didn't do. They have attempted to say I am going to be moved at the end of my job - on the basis of nothing."

Gompertz: Kelly family QC

And on Dr Kelly's naming, that had to happen when a journalist put the correct name to the department: "We would have confirmed the name because the Ministry of Defence cannot deny things that are true."

That brought a burst of wry laughter from the press benches.

But if Mr Hatfield was in determined mood, Mr Gompertz was no less persistent. Dr Kelly had been forced to leave his home at short notice, he said.

The scientist hadn't been told about the Q&A briefing papers for press officers which led him to be named and was left with "a thoroughly misleading impression" about the situation.

Not so, insisted Mr Hatfield. At one point the live transcript of the exchanges in the court room, flashed up, for no apparent reason, the words "resting, breasting, wrestling". They were certainly engaged in a verbal form of the latter.

Later, under questioning from James Dingemans, counsel to the inquiry, Mr Hatfield floundered for the first time over the draft press statements revealing that an official had admitted speaking to Mr Gilligan.

The statement he thought was the one he'd shown Dr Kelly in person was actually the one he'd read to him over the telephone, he realised, his face reddening.

Stride

This was important, because the statement the scientist had seen did not contain as much detail about his identity as the one he later cleared in a telephone conversation estimated by Mr Hatfield to have taken 10 minutes.

Dr Kelly's widow said he felt let down by the MoD

Soon though, he was back in his stride. He defended the Q&A briefing papers, said he was surprised Dr Kelly appeared not to have made preparations for his impending naming and defended reading the scientist the press statement over the phone.

But there were some concessions. He would have told Dr Kelly about the "naming strategy had I known that we were going to have this inquiry focusing on that point".

And with benefit of hindsight, he would have done things differently. Ears pricked up around the court room.

Yes, he said, if he had known then what he knows now, he'd have suspended the weapons expert after he admitted speaking to Mr Gilligan and started a disciplinary procedure.

That was pretty much it, and Mr Hatfield headed for the doors. Wonder what he had for lunch?