Kelly death: Inquest may be reopened

A coroner has confirmed he may reopen the inquest into the death of Dr David Kelly after some witnesses refused to allow their statements to be passed to the Hutton Inquiry.

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Gardiner said he may ask Thames Valley Police to hand over the evidence if he was not satisfied with Lord Hutton's findings.

Thames Valley Police admitted that a number of witnesses did not allow their statements to go to the inquiry, but insisted there was nothing "pertinent" in them.

The coroner's inquest was adjourned under Section 17a of the 1988 Coroners Act, which allows a public inquiry conducted by a judge to fulfil the function of an inquest.

Mr Gardiner said: "I shall in due course have to decide grounds exist to resume the inquest, but I can't do anything until I see Hutton's report.

"I may ask the police to see the reports if necessary and then I will decide whether to reopen the inquest. That's what it boils down to.

"Why these witnesses did not want their evidence to go forward to the inquiry I do not know."

A Thames Valley Police spokesman refused to confirm reports that one of the individuals was Mai Pederson, the American linguist who introduced Dr Kelly to the Baha'i faith.

But the force's assistant chief constable, Michael Page, told the Hutton Inquiry earlier this week that Ms Pederson gave a statement to police but it contained nothing of relevance.

It is understood that the individuals took advantage of a clause on the statement form asking if they agreed for their statements to go forward to the inquiry. Because the Hutton inquiry was a judicial inquiry and not a coroner's inquest it did not have the power to compel them to do so.

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