TORTURE-CLAIM LAWYERS ‘KNEW CLIENTS WERE TROOP KILLERS’

LAWYERS failed to reveal that spurious claims of torture and murder they were pursuing against British troops were being made by armed thugs, a tribunal heard yesterday. The firm Leigh Day instead gave the impression the “victims” it represented were innocent Iraqi civilians, it is alleged. All the while the firm totted up more than £9million in legal fees. Timothy Dutton QC, for the Solicitors Regulation Authority, said had the truth been known the claims would have thrown out – and a huge probe into alleged British Army abuse could have been halted. He added that innocent “British soldiers and their families would not have had to endure years of worry”. At the start of a seven-week hearing, solicitors Martyn Day and Sapna Malik denied misconduct. Mr Dutton went on: “At no stage did Martyn Day or Sapna Malik carry out inquiries to check whether they were carrying out improper claims.” Mr Dutton said an official Iraqi list, which the firm had, showed that abuse allegations were being made by members of the feared Mahdi Army – Shia insurgents who had fought British troops in Basra. The tribunal heard how it was years before the firm passed on the list, which would have undermined the cases against the troops. Allegations of misconduct had first been made following the Battle of Danny Boy in 2004 near al-amarah. Mr Dutton said the list “undermined their clients’ claims they were innocent bystanders in the battle.” He said instead it showed “they were members of a murderous militia who had ambushed British soldiers”. The tribunal was told that as early as 2008 Leigh Day knew one client was a senior member of the Mahdi. But it “ignored the evidence because they regarded him as central”. Mr Dutton added that “Leigh Day knew if they could pursue the claims to a successful conclusion, they would receive large costs”. The hearing was told that, had the firm declared its evidence, the £31million al-sweady probe into soldier abuse claims might have been dropped. The inquiry slammed claims that Iraqi detainees were murdered, mutilated and tortured following Danny Boy. It found that British forces had showed “exemplary courage, resolution and professionalism”. The probe suggested some detainees, all described as members or supporters of the Mahdi Army, lied about the most serious allegations. Mr Day and Ms Malik deny 19 charges of misconduct. Ms Crowther denies destroying an English translation of the detainees list.

TRIBUNAL Anna Crowther, Martyn Day and Sapna Malik arrive at the hearing yesterday

HELD Danny Boy scene