Tue 16 Nov 2004




Ronald Maddison, who died aged 20.
A jury decided he was unlawfully killed.

After 50 years a court decides MoD gas test killed this man

IAN JOHNSTON

Key points

• Inquest ruling may mean hundreds could sue MoD over nerve-gas tests
• Ronald Maddison died after exposure to lethal Sarin gas
• Family claim he was 'duped into taking part in what they believed were harmless experiments'

Key quote
"I have suspected that unlawful killing might be the verdict in light of the way that these unsuspecting young servicemen were treated." - Tam Dalyell MP

Story in full A YOUNG RAF engineer was unlawfully killed when he took part in secret nerve-gas tests 51 years ago, an inquest ruled yesterday - opening the way for hundreds of "human guinea pigs" to sue the government for damages.

Leading Aircraftman Ronald Maddison, 20, died after he was deliberately exposed to the lethal agent Sarin at the Porton Down chemical warfare testing facility in Wiltshire in 1953.

An inquest at the time ruled he had died of "misadventure" but his family claimed he and other military personnel were duped into taking part in what they believed were harmless experiments designed to find a cure for the common cold.

After more than half a century of campaigning, the Maddison family and relatives of hundreds of others exposed to various chemicals were celebrating yesterday when a jury at a second inquest decided his death had been no accident.

LAC Maddison, from Consett, County Durham, was one of hundreds of volunteers - it is thought possible the total could run to thousands - involved in tests from 1939 to 1989.

Lawyers believe yesterday’s verdict could open the door for other service personnel to sue the Ministry of Defence. Alan Care, lawyer for the Maddison family and 400 other alleged victims, described the decision as "a seminal verdict".

"It proves Ronald Maddison was killed by the state. We will be supporting a public inquiry, but more importantly we will be seeking compensation for the victims and families in the High Court," he said.

"Sadly Lillias Craik, Ronald’s sister, is unable to attend today, having suffered a stroke, but she wishes me to say that after 50 years the family now know how and why Ronnie died and are pleased that the jury’s verdict is unlawful killing by the state."

Mr Care added: "Given the facts that have now emerged, the family wish to support all the veterans who were ‘misled’ into attending Porton Down in their demand for a public inquiry."

The coroner in the case, David Masters, said the cause of death returned by the jury was "the application of a chemical warfare nerve agent in a non-therapeutic experiment".

Mr Maddison died at 11am on 6 May, 1953, at Porton Down’s medical centre, moments after 200mg of Sarin was dabbed on to his arm, the jury said. Respiratory failure because of the Sarin was the jury’s conclusion on the medical cause of death.

The MoD insisted all the servicemen tested at Porton Down were told beforehand they were taking part in nerve-gas experiments. The MoD’s lawyer, Leigh-Ann Mulcahy, told the inquest there was no documentary evidence to support the veterans’ claims they were misled.

After the verdict, a spokesman for the MoD said: "We will be seeking legal advice on whether we wish to consider a judicial review. We don’t believe the verdict today has implications for other volunteers. However, we will consider the implications."

Many Scottish service personnel, including Henry McKay, an RAF technician, volunteered to take part in the secret tests at Porton Down. Mr McKay was given mustard gas at Porton Down in 1953 and nerve gas in 1958. Soon after, he developed chronic stomach problems and went on to suffer from a serious and unexplained chest complaint. He died of a heart attack, aged 64, in 1997.

The veteran Labour MP Tam Dalyell, who has campaigned on the issue for many years, said he was not surprised by the verdict. "I have suspected that unlawful killing might be the verdict in light of the way that these unsuspecting young servicemen were treated," he said. But he added that it might be hard to establish accountability for the death so long after the event.

Eric Gow, of the veterans’ group, said he and "thousands" of men had willingly allowed themselves to be tested.

"If they [the MoD] had put up notices saying ‘we are going to test nerve gas on you’, do you think they would have got any volunteers? The answer is no," he said.