The Death of Dr. David Kelly - Dominic Grieve's lies to Parliament - the supporting documents

On 9th June 2011 Dominic Grieve QC MP lied to the United Kingdom House of Commons about the cause of death of Dr. David Kelly.

Some four weeks previously I had written to Mr. Grieve informing him that a senior Police officer in Thames Valley Police had lied in his evidence to the Hutton Inquiry.

The officer who lied to the Hutton Inquiry was then Assistant Chief Constable Michael Page of Thames Valley Police.

Mr. Grieve did not disclose the existence of that information to the House of Commons.

In his "never mind the quality feel the width" speech to the House of Commons Mr. Grieve cited a bundle of documents as supporting his dishonest conclusion that there was no basis on which the High Court could order a new inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly.

The document bundle was removed from the website of the Attorney General's Office some time ago.

Today I stumbled on it in the National Archives here:

[ARCHIVED CONTENT] - Dr. David Kelly

Here is what I posted on 9th June 2011 about Mr. Grieve's dishonest statement to the House of Commons:

The Death of David Kelly - A shameful and appalling cover-up by a dishonest Attorney General

Death of Dr. David Kelly - Letter to Rachel Cerfontyne asking IPCC to enforce recording of concerns re Chief Constable Thornton etc

Below is a copy of the text of a letter sent today to Rachel Cerfontyne, Deputy Chair of the IPCC asking her to require Anthony Stansfeld, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner to record an allegation of perverting the course of justice by Chief Constable Sara Thornton and to require Thames Valley Police to record an allegation of perverting the course of justice by Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood.

The matters raised with Ms. Cerfontyne relate to Thames Valley Police's concealment of the true cause of Dr. David Kelly's death.

Both Chief Constable Thornton and Deputy Chief Constable Habgood, in my opinion, are corrupt Police officers.

You will see that I have asked the IPCC to investigate whether Mr. Stansfeld's conduct constitutes one or more criminal offences.

The IPCC has many ongoing failings. I hope that in this situation it complies with its duty in Law.

20th February 2014

Rachel Cerfontyne

IPCC

PO Box 473

Sale

M33 0BW

Dear Ms Cerfontyne,

Thames Valley Police

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner

Request that IPCC use powers to compel recording and referral of alleged perversion of the course of justice by Chief Constable Sara Thornton and Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood

I am writing to you in your role as the IPCC Commissioner with territorial responsibility for Thames Valley Police.

I am writing to ask you to exercise powers vested in the IPCC by virtue of Paragraph 11(5) of Schedule 3 of the Police Reform Act 2002 and that you require respectively the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner and Thames Valley Police to comply with the applicable Law and record and refer to the IPCC allegations that, respectively, Chief Constable Sara Thornton and Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood perverted the course of justice with respect to the suspected murder of Dr. David Kelly.

The IPCC Reference number is 2013/013231. See IPCC letter of 23^rd September 2013.

The background

On 25^th May 2013 I wrote to Anthony Stansfeld, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner with respect to an allegation that Chief Constable Sara Thornton had perverted the course of justice with respect to a suspected murder.

The suspected murder had the Thames Valley Police Unique Reference Number 514 of 28^th October 2010.

The letter of 25^th May 2013 was also addressed to an Assistant Chief Constable in Thames Valley Police and to the head of Professional Standards in Thames Valley Police with respect to alleged perversion of the course of justice by Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood.

Given the IPCC letter of 23^rd September 2013, it seems certain that the IPCC has a copy of that letter.

The matters are “conduct matters”

In Law the allegations regarding Chief Constable Thornton and Deputy Chief Constable Habgood are “conduct matters”.

Further, according to the IPCC Statutory Guidance, conduct matters which relate to perversion of the course of justice are subject to mandatory referral.

In other words the Law requires that these matters be formally recorded and that they be referred to the IPCC for investigation.

Neither the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner nor Thames Valley Police have complied with the requirements of the Law.

I ask that you now use the powers available to you and require them to do so.

Is Anthony Stansfeld’s conduct criminal?

Anthony Stansfeld has, so it seems to me, concealed perversion of the course of justice by Chief Constable Sara Thornton.

Given that my letter of 8^th July 2013 spells out the applicable Law, it seems to me that there is no doubt that Mr. Stansfeld was informed of the requirments of the Law.

It seems to me to be the case that Mr. Stansfeld premeditatedly concealed alleged perversion of the course of justice by Chief Constable Thornton.

I ask that the IPCC ensure that a criminal investigation takes place into Mr. Stansfeld’s conduct.

I ask that in such a criminal investigation that particular attention be paid to the question of whether or not Mr. Stansfeld acted on his own or had any contact with Detective Chief Superintendent Nikki Ross of Thames Valley Police and/or Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey of the Metropolitan Police Service with respect to possible conpspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Distribution

In the interests of transparency I will copy this letter to Mr. Stansfeld.

Given the interests of the Home Affairs Select Committee in Policing matters I also copy this letter to Keith Vaz MP.

Section 21(3) of the Police Reform Act 2002

I wish to be considered an “interested person” in meaning of Section 21(3) of the Police Reform Act 2002.

I give my consent to being kept informed.

You may wish to be aware that your legal department is considering the scope of Section 21(3) and whether the IPCC is correctly interpreting the Law, as per recent correspondence with Sarah France.

Actions requested of you

In the first instance I request that you promptly acknowledge receipt of this letter.

Ideally I would like to receive a copy of any enforcement notice with respect to Thames Valley Police and Crime Commisioner and Thames Valley Police.

If such is not possible I would appreciate a detailed written account of the action(s) you have taken and why.

If the IPCC again refuses to accord me “interested person” status I ask that you give a detailed justification of any such decision.

Yours sincerely

(Dr) Andrew Watt

cc

Keith Vaz MP, Home Affairs Select Committee

Anthony Stansfeld, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner

Death of Dr. David Kelly - Freedom of Information Request to Thames Valley Police

Today I made a Freedom of Information Request to Thames Valley Police with respect to URN 514 of 28th October 2010, my report that Dr. David Kelly may have been murdered.

See

Death of Dr. David Kelly - Handling of URN 514 of 28th October 2010

For convenience I also reproduce the full text of the Freedom of Information Request here:

From: Andrew Watt

20 February 2014

Dear Thames Valley Police,

This is a Freedom of Information Request.

On 28th October 2010 I reported to Thames Valley Police my
suspicion that Dr. David Kelly had been murdered.

Thames Valley Police allocated the report of suspected murder a
Unique Reference Number 514 of 28th October 2010.

1. What actions did Thames Valley Police take in response to the
report of suspected murder?

2. No statement has been taken from me. Which officer took the
decision not to take a statement from me?

3. With respect to crime recording statistics how is URN 514 of
28th October 2010 recorded?

4. Which officer took the decision to record URN 514 of 28th
October 2010 in the manner disclosed in the answer to Question 3.?

5. Did the senior officer group concerned with Dr. Kelly's death
meet in response to URN 514 of 28th October 2010? If so, on what
date(s)?

6. I ask for copies of all notes, minutes of the meeting or similar
documents with respect to any senior group meetings referred to in
Question 5.

Thank you

Yours faithfully,

(Dr) Andrew Watt

Death of Dr. David Kelly - Conduct of Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball

On 28th October 2010 I reported to Thames Valley Police that I believed  it was likely that Dr. David Kelly had been murdered.

I did so on the basis of my examination of the postmortem and toxicology reports released on 22nd October 2010 by the Ministry of Justice.

Thames Valley Police allocated the Unique Reference Number 514 of 28th October 2010.

Subsequently both I and the late Brian Spencer wrote to Thames Valley Police on that and related matters.

At no time since 28th October 2010 has Thames Valley Police taken a statement from me with respect to URN 514 of 28th October 2010.

In light of the extensive correspondence with Chief Constable Sara Thornton, Deputy Chief Constable Francis Habgood and Assistant Chief Constable Helen Ball and their failures to act as I believed honest and competent Police officers had a duty to act I concluded that these officers had jointly and severally perverted the course of justice.

Today, I posted a copy of a formal complaint about the conduct of Deborah Glass, IPCC Commissioner here:

FUQQ.EU Deborah Glass - Is Deborah Glass a fit person to be an IPCC Commissioner?

Contained in that letter of complaint is brief reference to how "serious corruption" by the former Assistant Chief Constable Helen Ball has been concealed both by very senior officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and has been concealed by the IPCC.

The coven of cover-up in the highest echelons of the Independent Police Complaints Commision is of great concern to me.

Death of Dr. David Kelly - Letter of Complaint to Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel

Long time followers of this blog will be aware that on 28th October 2010 I formally reported to Thames Valley Police that I, as a retired doctor, considered it likely that Dr. David Kelly had been murdered.

I contacted Thames Valley Police on the basis of my reading of the postmortem and toxicology reports that the Ministry of Justice had released on 22nd October 2010.

A long correspondence has ensued with nothing honest and effective being done by Thames Valley Police.

Subsequently the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Anthony Stansfeld, has acted contrary to the Law by failing to refer to the Indepenent Police Complaints Commission alleged perversion of the course of justice by Chief Constable Sara Thornton.

Today I sent the following letter as a formal complaint to Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel.

Will they be any less useless than Chief Constable Thornton and Anthony Stansfeld? Time will tell.

19^th February 2014

Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel

Dear Sir/Madam,

Formal Complaint re the conduct of Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner

Concealment of perversion of the course of justice by Chief Constable Thornton

URN 514 of 28^th October 2010

I am writing following a chance contact on Twitter in which it was indicated to me that Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel might consider my complaint regarding Anthony Stansfeld.

I ask the Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel to investigate what I believe to be, at a minimum, gross misconduct by Anthony Stansfeld, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner

Brief Summary of events

On 28^th October 2010 I telephoned Thames Valley Police to report a suspected murder – that of Dr. David Kelly.

I did so as a retired medical practitioner having carefully studied the postmortem and toxicology reports released by the Ministry of Justice on 22^nd October 2010.

At no time since I reported the suspected murder has Thames Valley Police taken even the elementary step of taking a formal statement from me.

On multiple occasions I wrote to Chief Constable Thornton, Deputy Chief Constable Habgood and Assistant Chief Constable Ball asking them to investigate and providing further information about the need to do so.

On 25^th May 2013 (copy enclosed) I wrote a letter jointly to the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner and others asking Mr. Stansfeld to have an independent Police force investigate the alleged perversion of the course of justice by Chief Constable Thornton.

At that time I did not appreciate that referral to the IPCC was the course required by Law. However, Mr. Stansfeld failed, so far as I’m aware, to take any meaningful action in response to my letter, failing even to send me an acknowledgement.

On 8^th July 2013 (copy enclosed) I wrote again to the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner asking him to refer the matter of the alleged perversion of the course of justice by Chief Constable Thornton to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

In that letter I set out the basis in Law which required him to refer the matter to the IPCC without delay.

I received a two line acknowledgement dated 9^th July 2013. I think that this was prompted by a phone call from me, but I cannot currently find my notes of the conversation.

At no time since I wrote to him in May and July 2013 has, so far as I can ascertain, Mr. Stansfeld acted so as to comply with the requirements of the applicable Law.

I view Mr. Stansfelds’ failings as constituting gross misconduct, at a minimum.

The concealment of an allegation of perversion of the course of justice by the Chief Constable exacerbates the serious of Mr. Stansfeld’s misconduct in my eyes.

Is Mr. Stansfeld’s conduct criminal?

In my view Mr. Stansfeld has prevented proper investigation of the allegation that Chief Constable Sara Thornton has perverted the course of justice with respect to URN 514 of 28^th October 2010.

It is my opinion that, depending on the facts disclosed by full investigation, Mr. Stansfeld’s conduct may constitute the crimes of perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office or conspiracy to commit one or both of the foregoing offences.

Who do I report the suspected crimes to? Chief Constable Thornton is unlikely to be keen to investigate. Many months ago I asked her to have an external Police force to investigate. Needless to say, nothing visible happened.

Actions requested of the PCP

I ask that you promptly acknowledge receipt of this letter. I would prefer hard copy.

I ask that you consider requiring both the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable to a public meeting with the PCP. If you decide not to hold such a meeting in public I would appreciate a detailed justification for such a decision.

I also ask that I receive copies of all documents provided to the PCP by either Mr. Stansfeld and Chief Constable Thornton. In part I ask that since there is a substantial body of correspondence and I wish to minimise the possibility of the PCP being misled.

If a meeting is to be held and it would be possible for me to attend I would appreciate sufficient advance warning to maximise the likelihood that I could attend.

Yours sincerely

(Dr) Andrew Watt

cc Keith Vaz MP, Home Affairs Select Committee (for information)

Now on Twitter

I've begun the process of pursuing the important issues relating to the death of Dr. David Kelly and about the Chilcot Inquiry on Twitter.

I'm on Twitter as @DrAndrewWatt

I've also in the almost two years since I last posted on this blog learned a great deal about how official cover-up of wrongdoing is carried out, not least by the Independent Police Complaints Commission at the highest level.

The questions I raised in October 2012 about Hillsborough on my Hillsborough: What is the truth blog are the subject of ongoing research on my part, although I've had the opportunity to post disappointingly little on that blog up to now.

The Death of David Kelly - David Cameron refuses to allow Leveson to consider David Kelly's death

I've been tidying up a backlog of Google Alerts, including those about David Kelly.

I had missed a question to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, on 20th July 2011 from George Freeman MP.

It was mentioned in the Telegraph in these terms:

13.24 Cameron is asked whether the judicial inquiry will look into the death of David Kelly. Cameron says that it's important that the inquiry doesn't go "completely viral, as it were", and that Dr Kelly's death has been looked into very closely already.

See Phone hacking scandal: as it happened July 20.

The House of Commons Hansard for 20th July 2011 records the question and David Cameron's response in these words:

George Freeman (Mid Norfolk) (Con): Does the Prime Minister agree that one of the most lamentable episodes in this sad affair was the death of David Kelly, a proud civil servant whose name was thrown to the media pack, putting him under intolerable pressure, which led to his suicide? Will my right hon. Friend give me an undertaking that the investigation will be given a remit to cover and look back at how that event unfolded?

The Prime Minister: The point that I would make to my hon. Friend is that we have to be careful that this inquiry does not go completely viral, as it were. It has to focus on the issues at hand. Obviously, the issue of David Kelly was looked at in detail in the Hutton inquiry, and I think that this inquiry has to make some progress.

See House of Commons Hansard Debates for 20 July 2011 (pt 0001). The quote is from Column 950.

Again, David Cameron repeats the nonsense that Hutton adequately examined David Kelly's death.

It's almost as if David Cameron knew that there is something important about David Kelly's death which must be hidden from scrutiny.