Govt, family reach agreement on soldier's death

Britain accepted a serviceman, Ronald Maddison, was unlawfully killed 51 years ago during secret tests to see the effect of lethal nerve gas.

Britain accepted on Monday that a serviceman was unlawfully killed 51 years ago during secret experiments to test the effect of a lethal nerve gas.

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Ronald Maddison, a 20-year-old Royal Air Force engineer, died in May 1953 following tests conducted by Ministry of Defence scientists at Porton Down chemical and biological weapons laboratory in southern England.

He collapsed shortly after scientists placed a patch of the chemical warfare agent sarin on his arm.

An inquest held in secret at the time returned a verdict of misadventure, but that was overturned in 2002 and last year a jury in a second inquest ruled that he was unlawfully killed.

On Monday the Ministry of Defence dropped its High Court challenge to that verdict after judges said a compromise had been agreed with the family to make clear Maddison died due to negligence, not because of any lack of consent on his part.

The verdict now reads that the unlawful killing was "by reason of gross negligence manslaughter relating to the conduct and planning of the experiment on the deceased".

A joint statement from the ministry and the Maddison family, led by Maddison's 70-year-old sister Lilias Craik, said both parties were happy with the outcome.

"Lilias Craik on behalf of the Maddison family and the Ministry of Defence are satisfied that they have been able to agree a constructive resolution of the proceedings which the court has approved and which has thereby resolved the Ministry of Defence's claim for judicial review," it said.

Out of 20,000 servicemen who took part in experiments at Porton Down more than 500 say they have suffered disabilities such as kidney complaints and breathing problems.

Claims for compensation against the ministry by those veterans and Maddison's family are still being considered.