UK war criminal in Iraqi abuse claim
Only soldier to be convicted over killing of Baha Mousa tells inquiry into his death abuse of detainees was widespread
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Monday, 16, Nov 2009 05:29
By Matthew Champion.
The first-ever UK soldier to be convicted of war crimes has claimed that troops in his former regiment frequently punched and kicked Iraqi prisoners in their custody.
Donald Payne, who was jailed and thrown out of the army after pleading guilty to a charge of inhumane treatment in 2006, said he had covered up for his former comrades out of "misguided loyalty".
The 39-year-old is the only person to ever be convicted over the death of Basra hotel receptionist Baha Mousa, who died aged 26 in 2003 a day after being taken into British custody.
A post-mortem showed the father-of-two had suffered 93 separate injuries including fractured ribs and a broken nose.
Today Payne presented evidence at the public inquiry into Mr Mousa's death, where he said members of his old regiment, the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR), had mistreated detainees.
He said that Lieutenant Craig Rodgers would "kick and/or punch" prisoners and recalled one incident where he placed a can of petrol in front of a young Iraqi detainee before pouring water over him and lighting a match.
Lt Rodgers had denied assaulting anyone.
Payne also accused the commanding officer of First Battalion QLR, Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Mendonca - since promoted to colonel - of being "trigger happy".
He said he had seen the officer cock his pistol and hold it above a prisoner's mouth before threatening to "blow his face off".
Col Mendonca was charged with negligently performing a duty in connection with Mr Mousa's death but was cleared at a court martial alongside five other members of the QLR.
Payne's claims at the Baha Mousa inquiry come days after the Ministry of Defence confirmed it was investigating 33 separate allegations of abuse and rape made against UK soldiers by former Iraqi detainees.