Injuries 'should have been seen'

Injuries 'should have been seen'

Injuries sustained by a Romanian orphan which were subsequently missed at an autopsy should have been spotted by even a trainee pathologist, a tribunal has heard.

The General Medical Council is deciding whether an assistant state pathologist for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael Curtis, was at fault over a baby's post-mortem examination in October 2000.

The GMC's Professional Conduct Committee hearing in Manchester follows a report into the death of a Romanian baby boy who was legally adopted by County Armagh man Geoffrey Briggs.

The boy, who suffered multiple fractures, was buried without the injuries ever being explained.

Dr Curtis was charged with serious professional misconduct over two autopsies he carried out on baby David Briggs.

State Pathologist for Northern Ireland Professor Jack Crane, said on Tuesday that he believed it was a mistake for Dr Curtis not to have invited another pathologist to carry out the second post mortem examination.

'Should have told police'

Professor Crane said his assistant's explanation about bruising on David's head was "untenable".

He said that Dr Curtis should have told the police about the bruises and sought an explanation.

He said Dr Curtis' overall conclusions did not spell out sufficiently how David sustained his injuries.

During cross-examination by Dr Curtis' defence council, Donald Findlay QC, Professor Crane was asked about differences in autopsy reports in Northern Ireland and in Scotland, where Dr Curtis had worked for many years.

Professor Crane agreed that autopsy reports in Scotland tended to have less commentary from the pathologist.

He also agreed that pathologists in Northern Ireland were under pressure to complete autopsies quickly because of the cultural tendency for funerals to happen quickly.

Questioned

It is understood the couple, who adopted the boy and his twin brother, have been questioned by police in connection with the death.

Former overseas missionary Geoffrey Briggs from Portadown, the boy's adoptive father, was later jailed for fracturing the skull of the child's twin brother.

A 45-page Department of Heath report published in September last year, was highly critical of the Craigavon and Banbridge Community Trust, which oversaw the adoption.

One of the key findings said there was a failure to visit and support the children along with poor record-keeping.

Briggs adopted the nine-month-old twin boys under Romanian law in July 2000.

Less than four months later, one was dead and the other had a fractured skull.

The first child was pronounced dead at Craigavon Area Hospital in October 2000.

It is understood a post-mortem examination was carried out at the hospital at the time, but no death certificate was issued, and the body was buried.

Just 13 days after that, the boy's twin was admitted to the same hospital with a fractured skull.

Briggs admitted having punched the child and was later convicted of grievous bodily harm, and sentenced to two years in prison.

The body of the boy's dead twin was then exhumed and a further post-mortem examination was ordered.

That showed he had suffered extensive fractures to his ribs and body, none of which have ever been explained.