Further thoughts about Paul Weaving

I have recently written about farmer Paul Weaving and the possibility that he saw Dr Kelly on the afternoon he went on his final walk http://drkellysdeath-timeforthetruth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/paul-weaving-and-17th-july.html

In my post I had quoted number 41 in the schedule of responses to issues raised.  This had dealt with the report suggesting that Paul Weaving had also seen Dr Kelly on his walk on the afternoon of the 17th and the fact that Mr Weaving wasn't called to the Inquiry.  The report had been in the Guardian, Scotsman and Observer and in 41 they decided to refer to what the Guardian had to say.  This is very important because the Guardian didn't give direct quotes on this matter whereas the Scotsman certainly did.  Given the choice of those two newspapers for Saturday the 19th the question to be asked is why did they select the paper that didn't directly quote what was said.

A reminder of what Susan Melling said, as reported by the Scotsman:

Susan Melling, a neighbour, said the farmer, Mr Weaver, knocked on their door and her husband joined him in the search party.

"Mr Weaver called around and told us what had happened," she said. "He said that he had seen Dr Kelly on his walk on Thursday afternoon because he was near his farmland at the time.



"He was seen on the other side of the A420 road which runs just north of the village. My husband told me they would be searching all the way to the village of Longworth, which was the nearest village to where he was heading."  

There is confirmation of the search involving Mr Weaving and Mr Melling in number 54 in the Schedule:

Issue
Why was Susan Melling, a neighbour who had spoken to Paul Weaving, not called?
Response
Mr and Mrs Melling were also interviewed by police officers in the days following the death of Dr Kelly.  Mr Melling assisted in the search of Dr Kelly with Mr Weaving, however neither had any further information to assist the investigation.

Mrs Melling's story about the search has been confirmed.  Her remarks about Mr Weaving seeing Dr Kelly are quoted.  My belief is that Mr Weaving changed his story regarding the sighting of Dr Kelly.  Mr Weaving was interviewed by the police on Sunday 20 July so there is no realistic chance of his failing to recall the facts over that 3 day period.  He was seen by the police on the day immediately following the newspaper articles and some will see that as suspicious.

The short quotation from Mr Weaving's police witness statement is in fact ambiguous, and possibly deliberately so: Apart from the man walking his dog as previously described, I saw nobody else whilst there.  This wording might be reasonably viewed as referring to Mr Weaving's observations when he was at one location only: Harrowdown Hill.  In that case Dr Kelly might readily have been spotted by Mr Weaving earlier that afternoon just north of the A420 but south of Longworth and Harrowdown, prior to Mr Weaving going on up to the Hill to supervise the grass cutting.

In summary:

• The Attorney General in his Schedule selected the paper that didn't quote Mrs Melling rather than the one that did.
• The quotation of Mrs Melling in the Scotsman is clear and unambiguous as to Mr Weaving having seen Dr Kelly.
• Ruth Absalom has Dr Kelly heading in the wrong direction for Harrowdown Hill.  Hutton failed to investigate further.
• The official narrative doesn't record any other witnesses subsequently seeing Dr Kelly.
• Neither the person cutting the grass at Harrowdown Hill nor Mr Weaving see Dr Kelly at that location or approaching it.
• Neither Mr Weaving, Mr Melling nor Mrs Welling are called to the Inquiry, even though they knew Dr Kelly and the two men had been involved in searching for him. 

Nobody saw Dr Kelly at Harrowdown Hill

We are told in the official narrative that the dead body of Dr Kelly was discovered by search dog "Brock" in the wood that surmounts Harrowdown Hill.  If Dr Kelly had decided to commit suicide as the authorities would have us believe then fairly evidently he would have walked to Harrowdown Hill and then into the wood.  A very odd website called "Southend Leaks" has come up with a different scenario though in which they maintain that Dr Kelly killed himself elsewhere and his body was then moved to the wood which would have necessitated the recreation of the suicide as it were.  There are various reasons why "Southend Leaks" doesn't ring true which I won't discuss now.

The case for Dr Kelly walking up to Harrowdown Hill and into the wood would be bolstered if there was evidence of him being sighted after he had been in conversation with Ruth Absalom.  In a comment on the last post but one from me (about Paul Weaving) Frank had pointed out that there had been no less than six witnesses that he was aware of who, during the course of the afternoon and evening of the 17th July, might have been expected to have spotted Dr Kelly ...  if not all at least some of them.  These were two farmers, an employee of one of them, a dog walker, a horse rider and a badger watcher.  None of these did.  It seems that the alleged sighting of David Kelly by Mr Weaving was before Dr Kelly met Ms Absalom.

It has been stated that there was a thorough investigation of possible witnesses to the routes that Dr Kelly would have taken.  Part of number 46 in the schedule of responses to issues raised deals with this http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk/Publications/Documents/Schedule%20of%20responses%20to%20issues%20raised.pdf
This is the relevant two paragraphs in the response:

In the days following the discovery of Dr Kelly's body a house-to-house operation was conducted in Southmoor, Longworth and the routes between the two villages.  This included any "premise which overlooked the possible routes taken".  In total 167 premises were identified and visited.  This was a large operation and took some weeks to complete.

A checkpoint was established on the public footpaths that cross Harrowdown Hill woods in an effort to identify potential witnesses to the movements of the deceased.

I think that there are two alternative reasons for this particular police operation: firstly, that this was a very thorough investigation and no stone was being left unturned.  The second possibility was that an element of Thames Valley Police knew that Dr Kelly hadn't walked to Harrowdown Hill and so the house-to-house operation was a piece of elaborate window dressing.

Whatever viewpoint one takes the police failed to muster a single witness to say they had seen Dr Kelly.  There is thus no evidence that he had voluntarily entered the wood where he was found.

Odd interrogation of Ruth Absalom

Still on the subject of Ruth Absalom there is an interesting story that Norman Baker relates in his book (P206-207) which, at a minimum, is quite odd. 

Norman talks of a local reporter, Robert Wilkinson, who was interviewing folk in Southmoor following the death.  The Wagon and Horses is the pub opposite the Kelly home and Mr Wilkinson noticed a conspicuous parked car there with its two occupants talking to local residents ... one of whom was Ruth Absalom. Mr Wilkinson spoke to Ms Absalom to establish the identity of the two men but she wouldn't say as the two men had been most insistent that she should reveal nothing if asked.

The reporter tapped on the car window and asked the two men who they worked for.  Apparently they just laughed with one replying 'Thames Valley Police'.  They weren't in uniform and Mr Wilkinson felt that they weren't from Special Branch.

Later that day he phoned the police to ask if any officers had been out interviewing neighbours.  The answer he got was in the negative.  He explained the events that had led him to pose the question.  Two days later he got an unexpected call from TVP explaining that they had made a mistake and that the occupants of the car as well as the car itself were from the constabulary.

Mr Baker poses the possibility that these men were in reality from the intelligence services.  The fact that Mr Wilkinson was contacted out of the blue two days later does seem strange.  Frustratingly the piece in the book doesn't tell us the actual date that the two men were speaking to Ms Absalom.

Ruth Absalom speaking to the Press

This report from "The People" of Sunday 20 July 2003 includes comments by Ruth Absalom:


TRAGIC Dr David Kelly killed himself by slashing his wrist after swallowing powerful painkillers, it was revealed yesterday.

Police found a knife and tablets at the spot where the brilliant defence scientist named as the Iraq weapons mole died.

They refused to say whether he left a suicide note.

As forensic experts in white boiler suits searched Dr Kelly's pounds 750,000 house and gardens for clues, a friend told how the quietly spoken father of three reassured her, "Everything will be fine, it will all work out" just before he vanished.

Dr Kelly, 59, bumped into widow Ruth Absalom - probably the last person to see him alive - about a mile from his house in the village of Southmoor, Oxon, last Thursday.

Ruth, who is in her 70s, said: "He seemed jolly and was smiling. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"We talked about the weather and about my dog Buster. It was just pleasantries and small talk. I said, 'I hope you sort out your problems' and he replied, 'Everything will be fine'."

Dr Kelly, a member of the Baha'i Church, a liberal off-shoot of Islam, then continued his tragic walk to wooded Harrowdown Hill, the beauty spot where his body was found on Friday after a huge police search.

Acting superintendent David Purnell confirmed that Dr Kelly died through bleeding from a wound to his left wrist.

"We have recovered a knife and an open packet of Coproxamol tablets," the officer added.

Earlier, Dr Kelly's 58-year-old wife Janice and a woman believed to be daughter Sian, 32, were driven by police in a people carrier with darkened windows to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, to formally identify his body.

Mrs Kelly was too distraught to comment when she returned home two hours later.

But the family issued a statement revealing that the pressure had become "intolerable" for Dr Kelly after his ferocious grilling by MPs over the Iraq war dossier. The unassuming civil servant had been identified as the possible source of BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan's story which said the dossier had been "sexed up" by Tony Blair's close aide Alastair Campbell.

The family's statement, read out by Mr Purnell, said: "Events over recent weeks made David's life intolerable and all of those involved should reflect long and hard on this fact."

In a moving tribute to widely respected Dr Kelly, they said: "We are utterly devastated and heartbroken by the death of our husband, father and brother. We loved him very much and will miss his warmth, humour, and humanity.

"Those who knew him will remember him for his devotion to his home, family and the community and countryside in which he lived. A loving, private and dignified man taken from us all."

The statement also praised Dr Kelly for the "integrity, honour and dedication to finding the truth" that marked his professional life.

"It is hard to comprehend the enormity of this tragedy," the family added.

Flowers and messages of condolence arrived at the house where police had removed the computer and files from the study where Dr Kelly researched Saddam Hussein's chemical and biological weapons programme.

The Kellys had lived in the village for more than 20 years and were well respected by locals. Dr Kelly loved playing cribbage in the pub.

David Jordan, vice chairman of the local historical society, said: "This is like a dark cloud hanging over the village and everyone is in shock.

"David enjoyed walking but because Jan has a hip problem, she could no longer go with him.

"Jan is such a friendly lady and very outgoing - he was the introvert.

"You would knock on the door and David would answer then disappear into his study to carry on his work.

Mr Jordan said the couple's daughter Rachel is due to marry in October.

Roger Kingdon, 41, secretary of the Baha'i Church in nearby Abingdon, said: "David was a deeply spiritual man and took his faith seriously."

phil.nettleton@people.co.uk




And this from the Daily Mirror the next day:

PENSIONER Ruth Absalom was the last person to see Dr Kelly alive when she bumped into him on his final stroll before his death.

Ruth, 75, was walking her dog Buster when she met her friend in fields not far from his Oxfordshire home.

She said: "We had been chatting for a few minutes, but he wanted to get on.

"He looked at his watch, and I said: 'Yes, I should get going. I'll see you again David'.

"He replied: 'Oh, I expect so Ruth, you know'."

Little did Ruth know that Dr Kelly was about to end his life in the next field.

Last night Dr Kelly's daughter, Ellen Wilson, suggested that he might have killed himself because he had been barred from going back to Iraq this week as a weapons inspector.

The scientist's friend, author Tom Mangold, said: "That would have destroyed him."

Dr Kelly was also devastated that colleagues at the Ministry of Defence had treated him like "a dissident".

One source said: "Dr Kelly was the most prominent British inspector in Iraq during the 1990s and then he found himself being hung out to dry."

Ellen, 30, said: "He felt there was a total lack of support."

A family friend said: "David's death is down to the Government. The politicians running the country are rotten to the core."

An inquest is due to open in Oxford today. Caption: SCENE: Field where Dr Kelly died 

It's much too complex for me to comment in this post on the rest of the copy in these two press stories.  However I thought it right to fully quote the reports to give context for the quoted remarks by Ms Absalom; it's also interesting to see how contemporary reports were dealing with the death of Dr David Kelly.

The evidence of Ruth Absalom (3)

At the end of my last post I was suggesting that Hutton really wasn't too concerned about the exact fit of Ms Absalom's testimony.  She had vouched for the fact that she had bumped into Dr Kelly at the top of Harris's Lane thus giving credence to the perception that he was on his way to Harrowdown Hill.  This though is what she had to say to Mr Dingemans about Dr Kelly's direction of travel:

Q. And did you see what direction he left in?
A. Well, he was going for his walk. I suppose he went to my right, along the road towards Kingston Bagpuize  I suppose in the end, if he had gone round that way, but obviously he was going down to the fields down the road or down to the fields down the back.
Q. Was that the last time you saw Dr Kelly?
A. Yes. 

The road towards Kingston Bagpuize is Appleton Road and its direction is east from the top of Harris's Lane whereas Harrowdown hill is a little to the west of north from this point.  Questions about the local geography appear to have left Hutton untroubled.  It's been down to assiduous investigators before my involvement who have pointed out that Dr Kelly was apparently headed the wrong way.

The description given by Ms Absalom of 'but obviously he was going down to the fields down the road or down to the fields down the back' is initially confusing.  I am indebted though to another investigator who knows the land there and has been able to give a credible interpretation of the point Ruth Absalom was making.

Ms Absalom of course was aware that Dr Kelly's body was found in the wood on Harrowdown Hill.  It seems with her description that she was explaining to Dingemans how Dr Kelly would have got to Harrowdown Hill having set off down Appleton Road.  Part way along this road he could have turned left (north) along the track to Draycott Moor Farm.  It is possible to take a path west that would then allow Dr Kelly to once again head for Harrowdown Hill.  In very simple terms he would have walked three sides of a square.  By using "google maps" at a suitably large scale it's possible to see the names of the roads.

The evidence of Ruth Absalom (2)

There is considerable doubt about the timings of some of the events on 17 July but one good "fix" is a telephone call taken by Dr Kelly in the mid afternoon.  This is number 53 in the schedule of responses to issues raised http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk/Publications/Documents/Schedule%20of%20responses%20to%20issues%20raised.pdf

Issue
Mrs Kelly mentions that Dr Kelly took a telephone call shortly before leaving.  She assumed it was the MOD.  This was not investigated.
Response
The matter was investigated.  Dr Kelly took a call from the MOD at 14.52. 

When Wing Commander John Clark made his first visit to the Inquiry on 27 August there was this exchange with Mr Knox:

Q. At what time did you attempt to ring Dr Kelly?  
A. It was -- I have since been told by the police -- I thought it was close to 3 o'clock but it was about 3.20, and I was told by his wife who answered the telephone that Dr Kelly had gone for a walk at 3 o'clock.  
Q. Can you recall what the last telephone conversation you actually had with Dr Kelly was before that attempt to get hold of him? 
A. Yes, I had a call with him which was just before 3 o'clock. Again I thought it was earlier but we have been able to track that down from investigating my log of e-mails and the telephone log that the police were able to provide. So about 6 or 7 minutes before 3 o'clock was the last conversation. That was the one where we discussed Susan Watts and the business cards.
Q. When you say Susan Watts, i.e. appearing in the body of the text?  
A. Absolutely right. So that had been agreed. 

The timing of this phone call creates a problem with Ms Absalom's evidence ... at least with the timings here:

Q. On 17th July, what time did you walk your dog?
A. Well, I usually go about 3 but I went earlier that day, I suppose about quarter past 2.
Q. Quarter past 2?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see anyone while you were walking the dog? 
A. Not until I met Dr Kelly.
Q. And when did you meet Dr Kelly? What time was that?
A. Round about 3 o'clock. I could not tell you for sure, I did not bother to look at my watch but I was taking the dog for a walk and --
Q. Where did you meet him?
A. The top of Harris's Lane, which is in Longworth, the next village. It is about -- roughly about a mile from my home.
Q. How far from his home is that?
A. Well, he is only a matter of yards across the road from me.
Q. So about just under a mile from his home; is that right?
A. Yes. 

If Ms Absalom habitually took her dog for a walk at 3 o'clock then the fact that on one day she left about 45 minutes early would perhaps be something that stuck in her mind.  My best guess is that she did go at about 2.15 one day, but not on the 17th.  Her two page witness statement (date not revealed) might give different timings.  I don't think that Hutton would be concerned if that was the case, from his perspective I imagine his primary concern was validation of the fact that Dr Kelly was seen at a point between his home and Harrowdown Hill during that afternoon.

In reviewing the times given by Ms Absalom I would suggest that Dr Kelly was 15 - 20 minutes from his home by the shortest route when he met her at the top of Harris's Lane.   

The evidence of Ruth Absalom (1)

According to the official narrative the last person to see Dr Kelly alive was a near neighbour Ms Ruth Absalom.  As her testimony is quite brief I think I can do no better than quote it in totality before making any comments:

Tuesday, 2nd September 2003
(10.30 am)
MS RUTH ABSALOM (called)
Examined by MR DINGEMANS
LORD HUTTON: Good morning ladies and gentlemen.  Mr Dingemans, I understand Ms Absalom is going to give evidence on the video link.  Good morning Ms Absalom. Thank you very much for agreeing to give evidence to this Inquiry. I will ask Mr Dingemans, the senior counsel, to take you through your evidence.
MR DINGEMANS: Ms Absalom, can you hear me?
A. Yes.
Q. Where are you at the moment?
A. Where am I? Sorry.
Q. You are in Oxford, are you? What village do you live in?
A. Southmoor.
Q. Did you know Dr Kelly?
A. Yes.
Q. How long had you known him for?
A. Well, from the time he came into the village, I suppose.  I do not know how long that was, but a good many years -- several years.
Q. What were you doing on 17th July? Do you remember the 17th July?
A. Is that the day I met David?
Q. Yes.
A. Just walking the dog.
Q. And how far is your house from Dr Kelly's house?
A. The width of a road, a main road. I do not know how many yards.
Q. How many minutes walk?
A. A couple.
Q. A couple of minutes walk.
A. Yes.
Q. On 17th July, what time did you walk your dog?
A. Well, I usually go about 3 but I went earlier that day, I suppose about quarter past 2.
Q. Quarter past 2?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see anyone while you were walking the dog?
A. Not until I met Dr Kelly.
Q. And when did you meet Dr Kelly? What time was that?
A. Round about 3 o'clock. I could not tell you for sure, I did not bother to look at my watch but I was taking the dog for a walk and --
Q. Where did you meet him?
A. The top of Harris's Lane, which is in Longworth, the next village. It is about -- roughly about a mile from my home.
Q. How far from his home is that?
A. Well, he is only a matter of yards across the road from me.
Q. So about just under a mile from his home; is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. How was he dressed?
A. Normally. I did not take that much notice.
Q. Do you remember whether he was wearing a jacket or ...?
A. Well, he had obviously got a jacket on but whether it was a suit or an odd jacket and odd trousers I have no idea. We just stopped, said hello, had a chat about nothing in particular --
Q. What did you say to him?
A. He said, "Hello Ruth" and I said, "Oh hello David, how are things?" He said, "Not too bad". We stood there for a few minutes then Buster, my dog, was pulling on the lead, he wanted to get going. I said, "I will have to go, David". He said, "See you again then, Ruth" and that was it, we parted.
Q. How did he seem to you?
A. Just his normal self, no different to any other time when I have met him.
Q. Did you see whether he was carrying anything?
A. No, I do not think he was.
Q. And do you remember how long you spoke to him for?
A. Five minutes at the most.
Q. And did you see what direction he left in?
A. Well, he was going for his walk. I suppose he went to my right, along the road towards Kingston Bagpuize I suppose in the end, if he had gone round that way, but obviously he was going down to the fields down the road or down to the fields down the back.
Q. Was that the last time you saw Dr Kelly?
A. Yes.
Q. And is there anything else surrounding the circumstances of Dr Kelly's death that you can help his Lordship with?
A. None whatsoever. I am sorry, I wish I could, but that is all I can tell you. I met him at the top of the road there and we had a few minutes' chat and then Buster was pulling his lead and David said, well, he said, "I must get going" and that was it. We parted and he said, "Cheerio Ruth", I said "Bye David". That was it.
LORD HUTTON: Thanks very much indeed for giving your evidence. That is very helpful.
A. All right.
LORD HUTTON: Now would you like me to rise?
MR DINGEMANS: Just for a few minutes, my Lord.
(10.35 am)
(Short Break)

One question that has been raised in the past is "Why didn't Ms Absalom go up to London to give evidence?".  I don't have a problem with an elderly lady whose evidence was only five minutes long being spared that trip.  It seems that communication was via a two way video link which is in contrast with Mrs Kelly and Rachel giving their evidence by audio link the previous day. 

Initially, and I would suggest unsurprisingly, she appeared to be a little disorientated.  I assume that she was whisked off to Oxford by police car and was speaking from inside a building she had never visited.  Add to this that presumably it was the first occasion in which she had talked over a video link. 

The next witness was Dr Kelly's GP Dr Warner and there might be an argument  that he could have given Ruth Absalom a lift.  It seems to me that early morning witnesses would have been provided with accommodation the previous night in London and that I suspect happened with Dr Warner.  

If anything Dr Warner's testimony, to be considered later, was even briefer.  Perhaps, as a person giving medical evidence, it was thought that he had to appear in person.  I make this point because otherwise it seems something of an anomaly for Ms Absalom to go to Oxford while Dr Warner traipsed up to London.

More thoughts on Ms Absalom's testimony to come. 
 

Dr Kelly Interview - Germ Warfare

The last interview with Dr Kelly was made in the middle of June 2003, about a month before his death.  Made for the Australian company ABC tv it can be watched as google video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=268935367757039981  It's about 48 minutes long and is absolutely fascinating!

Apart from the obvious Dr Kelly interest it also serves an excellent purpose in giving an overview of the development of biological warfare research.  This is not about Iraq, at that moment a much too sensitive subject, but about for instance the clean up of Guinard Island, in which Dr Kelly was involved.  This island is off the coast of Scotland and is where experiments were carried out in the Second World War on sheep to test the efficacy of anthrax as a weapon.  Another important job that Kelly was involved with was the inspection of the Soviet biowarfare facilities, their programme being far bigger than anything in the Middle East.  

One or two other points.  The video confirmed that Dr Kelly was a person who spoke fairly quietly, this being relevant when one remembers that members of the FAC on 15 July 2003 had some difficulty hearing his answers until the fans were switched off.  It has been suggested that David Kelly was uncomfortable at the televised session of the FAC but certainly there seems to be no problem at the time the ABC film was being made.

Our usual perception of Dr Kelly is I think of a person who always wore spectacles but in the video there is quite a lot of footage of him not wearing them.  The searchers don't state whether he was wearing his spectacles when they found him but certainly Dr Hunt says they weren't on his face and finds a pair (presumably Kelly's) in a pocket of the Barbour jacket Dr Kelly was wearing.

At the Hutton Inquiry other witnesses, such as neighbour Ruth Absalom, could have been usefully asked whether he was wearing them.  Mrs Kelly should also have been questioned as to the sort of occasions in which he typically didn't wear them.

The first police officer to see the body (so the narrative goes) was DC Graham Coe.  His memory seems to come and go ... it will be recalled that he forgot that there was a third person accompanying  him and DC Shields when they were on the way to Harrowdown Hill.  In an interview with the Mail on Sunday of 8 August 2010 Coe says 'I think he was wearing his glasses and I think his eyes were closed'.  A lot of uncertainty.  If Dr Kelly set off from his home not wearing them or was likely to take them off  then I would have thought his spectacles case would have been in his pocket.

The email exchanges that led up to the filming are on the Hutton Inquiry website http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090128221550/http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/content/com/com_4_0032to0035.pdf