Pathologist stands by finding

Dr Michael Curtis is accused of serious professional misconduct

Northern Ireland's assistant state pathologist has said he was horrified when the police told him about injuries suffered by the brother of an adopted Romanian boy.

Dr Michael Curtis was giving evidence to the General Medical Council in Manchester which is deciding whether he was at fault over David Briggs' post-mortem examination in October 2000.

Dr Curtis carried out two autopsies on baby David in October and November 2000.

He is accused of failing to notice significant damage to the 14-month-old boy, including evidence of multiple bone fractures.

Shortly after the first autopsy, David's twin brother, Samuel, suffered a fractured skull.

The boys' adoptive father, Geoffrey Briggs from Portadown, was later jailed for causing that injury.

Hindsight

Dr Curtis told the GMC's Professional Conduct Committee hearing on Thursday that he re-examined x-rays of David's body as soon as he heard of the injuries sustained by his twin brother.

He said he told the police and arranged for the body to be exhumed so that a second autopsy could be carried out.

He told the hearing that he had invited paediatric experts to help him with the second autopsy and done everything he could to get to the truth.

Dr Curtis insisted that, even with hindsight, he stood by his finding that the cause of death could not be determined.

Asked about why he had failed to notice the bone fractures when he originally viewed the x-rays, Dr Curtis admitted he had only given them a "cursory glance".

He said this was because he believed they had already been seen by a radiologist who had said they were all clear.

He is currently charged with professional misconduct.

The hearing follows a report into the death of the baby, who was legally adopted by County Armagh man Geoffrey Briggs and his wife.

The boy, who suffered multiple fractures, was buried without the injuries ever being explained.

The adopted child died in 2000

It is understood the couple, who adopted the boy and his twin brother, have been questioned by police in connection with the death.

Former overseas missionary Briggs, from Portadown, was later jailed for fracturing the skull of the child's twin brother.

A 45-page Department of Heath report published in September last year, was highly critical of the Craigavon and Banbridge Community Trust, which oversaw the adoption.

One of the key findings said there was a failure to visit and support the children along with poor record-keeping.

Romanian law

Briggs adopted the nine-month-old twin boys under Romanian law in July 2000.

Less than four months later, one was dead and the other had a fractured skull.

The first child was pronounced dead at Craigavon Area Hospital in October 2000.

It is understood a post-mortem examination was carried out at the hospital at the time, but no death certificate was issued, and the body was buried.

Just 13 days after that, the boy's twin was admitted to the same hospital with a fractured skull.

Briggs admitted having punched the child and was later convicted of grievous bodily harm, and sentenced to two years in prison.

The body of the boy's dead twin was then exhumed and a further post-mortem examination was ordered.

That showed he had suffered extensive fractures to his ribs and body, none of which have ever been explained.