David Kelly's death was 'textbook suicide', says pathologist

[TriWooOx]

Quote:Nicholas Hunt has spoken out for the first time since giving evidence to the Hutton Inquiry into Dr Kelly's death in 2003.

The inquiry, held in place of an inquest, concluded it was suicide.

Dr Hunt said he was "horrified by the way [Dr Kelly] had been treated by the government" yet could find no evidence of foul play.

"It was an absolute classic case of self-inflicted injury," he told The Sunday Times. "I would welcome an inquest, I've nothing to hide".

He added that he had had "every reason" to look for something untoward and would "dearly love to have found something".

Dr Hunt also disclosed details of his report, which the Hutton Inquiry banned from publication for 70 years.

His report showed that Dr Kelly had about a dozen cuts on his left wrist, including shallow "hesitation" cuts – made as he summoned the resolve to kill himself.

The post-mortem examination also found that the biological warfare expert's death was caused by bleeding from the cuts to his wrist, an overdose of painkillers and severe heart disease.

Two of Dr Kelly's main arteries were 70-80 per cent narrower than normal because of the heart condition. The condition would greatly reduce an ability to withstand sudden blood loss.

Dr Kelly was found dead in woods near his Oxfordshire home in July 2003, a week after being unmasked as the source of claims the government had "sexed up" a dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnew...ogist.html