Compelling verdict on Dr Kelly's death

By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

After all the speculation, all the conspiracy theories and all the political skulduggery, the Hutton inquiry has finally been given the expert's verdict on David Kelly's death.

In subdued tones, psychiatrist Keith Hawton - specialist in suicideology, as the Americans call it - declared it was "well nigh certain" the troubled civil servant had killed himself after a severe loss of self-esteem and feeling of loss of trust in him.

Professor Hawton believes Dr Kelly committed suicide

The Oxford Professor suggested Dr Kelly had taken the decision late in the affair - probably only hours before he took his own life.

And he suggested one factor was that, far from his troubles having blown over by the end of that week as he may have originally hoped, Dr Kelly realised the chances of an early resolution were diminishing.

That had been sparked in large part by the tabling of a series of Commons questions about his contacts with BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan and others.

This, after all, is what this inquiry is all about. To decide exactly how Dr Kelly died, and why.

Compelling case

Neither question could be categorically answered after the event by the psychiatrist who had never met him.

He had only been able to draw his opinion from examining all the relevant available documentary evidence, and interviewing members of Dr Kelly's family.

But combined with the earlier evidence from the searchers who found his body, and the police and ambulance crews who attended, this was the clearest and, it has to be said, most compelling case yet put before the inquiry about the facts of Dr Kelly's death.

It will further sharpen the criticisms aimed at Dr Kelly's political masters and all those ultimately deemed responsible for putting him under such intense public pressure.

The only relief for them was the declaration from professor Hawton, that no one could have predicted this would have been the outcome.

Up until now there has often been a lingering sense of frustration about this inquiry - it felt as though it was failing to get to the core of this affair

We have already seen the politicians and media giving their accounts of how Dr Kelly came to be named and what it is believed he may have said to whom and about what.

In unprecedented scenes, we have even witnessed the prime minister himself giving evidence to the inquiry. But the past two days have moved on to the very heart of this deeply human tragedy.

That has seen some of the most moving and devastating testimony yet from Dr Kelly's family and those close to him.

Up until now there has often been a lingering sense of frustration about this inquiry - it felt as though it was failing to get to the core of this affair.

The last two days have seen a distinct shift. Things are looking clearer, if no less tragic, by the day.