Day 12: main points

What happened

Janice Kelly said she had learnt for the first time that her husband had told his managers of his conversation with Andrew Gilligan only as they watched a TV bulletin that mentioned an official had come forward. He had told her: "It's me."

Mr Kelly had not known his name was to be made public and just 24 hours later the couple had been forced to leave their house at 10 minutes' notice as they had been told "the press were on their way in droves".

On the day Mr Kelly disappeared, his wife had been physically sick through worry as he had looked like he had a "broken heart".

Susan Pape, Mr Kelly's sister, told how he had been thrown by a question at the foreign affairs committee on his confidential contacts with BBC journalist Susan Watts. "He really couldn't understand where the quotes were coming from."

Rachel Kelly, his daughter, said he had felt under immense pressure over his FAC appearance and had said the questioning had been tough. He had called one member an "utter bastard".

Mr Kelly had also told his daughter he did not believe he had been Andrew Gilligan's single source for his Radio 4 report and could not understand how the BBC journalist had made "such forceful claims".

Analysis

The spotlight turned to Mr Kelly's personal life and the impact of the tragedy on his family. His widow and daughter had uncomfortable words for Geoff Hoon and the MoD, Mr Gilligan and the BBC, and for the foreign affairs committee. Who's next?

Tuesday's focus will be on the search for Mr Kelly with evidence from the search team, ambulance service and police. Other witnesses will be Ruth Absalom, the last person to see him alive; Barney Leith, UK head of the Baha'i faith to which Mr Kelly belonged; and Professor Keith Hawton, an expert in suicide.

©Copyright 2003, Financial Times (UK)

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