Iraq death doctor acted dishonestly, tribunal rules

A FORMER British Army doctor failed to protect detainees and acted dishonestly after the death of Iraqi prisoner Baha Mousa, medical watchdogs have ruled.

Dr Derek Keilloh, appearing before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS), denied any cover-up and claimed he only spotted dried blood around the nose of hotel receptionist Mr Mousa after he was arrested and beaten by British soldiers in Basra in 2003.

Hooded with a sandbag for nearly 24 hours, Mr Mousa suffered 93 separate injuries including fractured ribs and a broken nose during the final 36 hours of his life in the custody of the 1st Battalion, Queen's Lancashire Regiment (1 QLR).

Dr Keilloh — the senior medic on duty who treated Mr Mousa (26) on the night he died — repeatedly denied any knowledge of such injuries.

The GP, who now works at Mayford House Surgery in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was found guilty of a series of failures after the death of Mr Mousa and his subsequent conduct.

The MPTS found he was aware of the injuries to the victim — but failed to conduct an adequate examination of the body.

And knowing of the dead man’s condition, he then failed to assess other detainees or protect them from further mistreatment and tell senior officers what was going on.

And the MPTS said he engaged in “misleading and dishonest” conduct when, at courts martials and a subsequent public inquiry, he maintained under oath he saw no injuries to Mr Mousa’s body.

The tribunal will now retire to decide whether his behaviour amounts to misconduct, and if so, what the penalty should be.

The MPTS has the power to suspend or strike off doctors they find guilty of misconduct.

Dr Keilloh sat ramrod straight, blinking slowly, but made no reaction as Dr Brian Alderman, chairman of the MPTS panel hearing the case, delivered its verdict.

Lawyers for the General Medical Council, which prosecutes the case and Dr Keilloh, asked for time to digest the findings and the panel will sit again this morning.