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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Officer 'abused Iraqi prisoners' | Officer 'abused Iraqi prisoners' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The only soldier convicted in connection with the death of Iraqi Baha Mousa claims that he witnessed an Army officer abuse other prisoners. | The only soldier convicted in connection with the death of Iraqi Baha Mousa claims that he witnessed an Army officer abuse other prisoners. |
| Former corporal Donald Payne told a public inquiry into Mr Mousa's death that he saw a group led by Lt Craig Rodgers "kick and/or punch" prisoners. | Former corporal Donald Payne told a public inquiry into Mr Mousa's death that he saw a group led by Lt Craig Rodgers "kick and/or punch" prisoners. |
| Mr Mousa, 26, died in Basra in 2003 while in the custody of the former Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR). | Mr Mousa, 26, died in Basra in 2003 while in the custody of the former Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR). |
| Lt Rodgers has denied assaulting "any of the detainees at any time". | Lt Rodgers has denied assaulting "any of the detainees at any time". |
| Mr Mousa, a hotel receptionist, was found to have suffered 93 separate injuries. | Mr Mousa, a hotel receptionist, was found to have suffered 93 separate injuries. |
| Payne, who formerly served with the QLR, became the first member of the UK armed forces to be convicted of a war crime when he pleaded guilty at a court martial to inhumanely treating civilians. | Payne, who formerly served with the QLR, became the first member of the UK armed forces to be convicted of a war crime when he pleaded guilty at a court martial to inhumanely treating civilians. |
| He was part of a group headed by Lt Rodgers which was known by the call sign G10A. | He was part of a group headed by Lt Rodgers which was known by the call sign G10A. |
| Payne told the inquiry that he had covered up the extent of the abuse of Iraqis by British soldiers out of "misguided loyalty". | Payne told the inquiry that he had covered up the extent of the abuse of Iraqis by British soldiers out of "misguided loyalty". |
| I did not hit, punch, kick or physically assault any of the detainees at any time Lt Craig Rodgers | I did not hit, punch, kick or physically assault any of the detainees at any time Lt Craig Rodgers |
| He previously claimed that he had only nudged or slapped the Iraqi detainees and never saw them being beaten by their guards. | |
| In a statement, Payne told the inquiry: "I had regarded The Queens Lancashire Regiment for over 18 years effectively as my family. | |
| "I have known the disclosures I am about to make would harm the reputation of both my former regiment and the British Army and for these reasons have so far been unwilling to make them even to my lawyers. | "I have known the disclosures I am about to make would harm the reputation of both my former regiment and the British Army and for these reasons have so far been unwilling to make them even to my lawyers. |
| "I now disclose that in adopting the routine I did each time, I returned to the temporary detention facility to ensure the detainees were awake, the degree of force I applied was greater than I have so far admitted. | "I now disclose that in adopting the routine I did each time, I returned to the temporary detention facility to ensure the detainees were awake, the degree of force I applied was greater than I have so far admitted. |
| "Moreover at one time or another I saw all the members of the multiple in call sign G10A emulate me." | "Moreover at one time or another I saw all the members of the multiple in call sign G10A emulate me." |
| Payne admitted that he lied "about almost everything" in interviews conducted during 2003 and 2004, had lied to the court martial and in his first statement to the public inquiry for reasons of "self-preservation". | |
| He agreed with Gerard Elias QC, counsel to the inquiry, that the force had actually amounted to "an element of gratuitous violence". | |
| The former soldier suggested he beat the detainees because he believed - wrongly - that they were linked to the deaths of six Royal Military Police soldiers in Iraq in June 2003. | |
| Apart from claiming to have seen Lt Rodgers' men assaulting the Iraqi detainees, Payne said he also saw Lt Rodgers place a jerry can of petrol in front of a young boy. | Apart from claiming to have seen Lt Rodgers' men assaulting the Iraqi detainees, Payne said he also saw Lt Rodgers place a jerry can of petrol in front of a young boy. |
| "He poured water over him and then lit a match. This took place in the middle room. Another member of the multiple was with Lt Rodgers but I do not now recall his identity," he said. | "He poured water over him and then lit a match. This took place in the middle room. Another member of the multiple was with Lt Rodgers but I do not now recall his identity," he said. |
| 'Trigger happy' | 'Trigger happy' |
| Lt Rodgers, who left the Army in March 2007, issued a statement in which he said: "I did not hit, punch, kick or physically assault any of the detainees at any time." | Lt Rodgers, who left the Army in March 2007, issued a statement in which he said: "I did not hit, punch, kick or physically assault any of the detainees at any time." |
| Payne also claimed that the commanding officer of 1st Battalion QLR, Lt Col Jorge Mendonca, was "gung ho" and "somewhat trigger-happy" in Iraq in 2003. | Payne also claimed that the commanding officer of 1st Battalion QLR, Lt Col Jorge Mendonca, was "gung ho" and "somewhat trigger-happy" in Iraq in 2003. |
| He told the inquiry of an occasion where Lt Col Mendonca cocked his pistol, held it above a prisoner's mouth and threatened to "blow his face off" and also personally shot out blacked-out car windows after a directive was issued banning them. | He told the inquiry of an occasion where Lt Col Mendonca cocked his pistol, held it above a prisoner's mouth and threatened to "blow his face off" and also personally shot out blacked-out car windows after a directive was issued banning them. |
| Payne in a statement to the inquiry: "It was my impression that the CO was somewhat trigger-happy. | Payne in a statement to the inquiry: "It was my impression that the CO was somewhat trigger-happy. |
| "He would pull his pistol out at any opportunity. He would behave as if he were a member of the SAS. Everyone knew and commented about his behaviour." | "He would pull his pistol out at any opportunity. He would behave as if he were a member of the SAS. Everyone knew and commented about his behaviour." |
| Lt Col Mendonca, who was later promoted to colonel, was charged with negligently performing a duty over the Iraqi prisoner abuse but was cleared at court martial. | Lt Col Mendonca, who was later promoted to colonel, was charged with negligently performing a duty over the Iraqi prisoner abuse but was cleared at court martial. |