Pathologist in Sally Clark case accused of being "slapdash"
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《英国医生杂志》
The Home Office pathologist who carried out postmortem examinations on the two babies of Sally Clark (whose conviction for murdering them was later overturned) was "slapdash" in his approach to vital evidence, the General Medical Council was told last week.
Alan Williams, aged 58, was incompetent and acting beyond his expertise, Roger Henderson QC told the professional conduct committee at the start of a four week hearing. Dr Williams denies serious professional misconduct (bmj.com, 29 Jan 2005, News Extra).
Dr Williams failed to disclose the results of microbiology tests on Mrs Clark's 8 week old son Harry, which showed Staphylococcus aureus at eight sites in his body, including the cerebrospinal fluid.
He initially gave the cause of death for 12 week old Christopher as a respiratory tract infection, but after Harry's death he changed his mind and concluded that there was evidence of smothering. He put Harry's death down to shaken baby syndrome.
GMC hears of "grave problems" with postmortem examinations on Sally Clark's babies
Credit: KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/PA/EMPICS
Mr Henderson said that Dr Williams had told the jury that Harry appeared to have been shaken to death, but he did not keep proper records of tests he carried out, and this cast doubt on the quality of his work.
Mr Henderson told the committee: "Here was a baby who had died in circumstances which we would suggest called for the most meticulous examination and report."
"His elder brother had died. Dr Williams knew this. It will be our evidence that the absence of a contemporaneous report of the ribs and the absence of any photographic record shows he had a slapdash approach," he said.
"It may have been expected from a forensic pathologist that his findings might be the subject of an intense scrutiny and he would have to answer to his findings potentially in a coroner's court or a criminal court. As a matter of routine, Dr Williams should have been meticulous in his work," he continued.
Mr Henderson said that Dr Williams was "incompetent" in his consideration and treatment of Harry's eyes, spinal cord, and ribs.
There were "grave problems" with the postmortem examinations on both babies, which were of a standard that impaired the reliable evaluation of evidence of the cause of death, he added.(Clare Dyer, legal correspondent)
Alan Williams, aged 58, was incompetent and acting beyond his expertise, Roger Henderson QC told the professional conduct committee at the start of a four week hearing. Dr Williams denies serious professional misconduct (bmj.com, 29 Jan 2005, News Extra).
Dr Williams failed to disclose the results of microbiology tests on Mrs Clark's 8 week old son Harry, which showed Staphylococcus aureus at eight sites in his body, including the cerebrospinal fluid.
He initially gave the cause of death for 12 week old Christopher as a respiratory tract infection, but after Harry's death he changed his mind and concluded that there was evidence of smothering. He put Harry's death down to shaken baby syndrome.
GMC hears of "grave problems" with postmortem examinations on Sally Clark's babies
Credit: KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/PA/EMPICS
Mr Henderson said that Dr Williams had told the jury that Harry appeared to have been shaken to death, but he did not keep proper records of tests he carried out, and this cast doubt on the quality of his work.
Mr Henderson told the committee: "Here was a baby who had died in circumstances which we would suggest called for the most meticulous examination and report."
"His elder brother had died. Dr Williams knew this. It will be our evidence that the absence of a contemporaneous report of the ribs and the absence of any photographic record shows he had a slapdash approach," he said.
"It may have been expected from a forensic pathologist that his findings might be the subject of an intense scrutiny and he would have to answer to his findings potentially in a coroner's court or a criminal court. As a matter of routine, Dr Williams should have been meticulous in his work," he continued.
Mr Henderson said that Dr Williams was "incompetent" in his consideration and treatment of Harry's eyes, spinal cord, and ribs.
There were "grave problems" with the postmortem examinations on both babies, which were of a standard that impaired the reliable evaluation of evidence of the cause of death, he added.(Clare Dyer, legal correspondent)