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Iraq inquiry video shows soldier screaming at prisoners

Joe Sinclair,Press Association
Monday 13 July 2009 16:35 BST
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Video footage shown to the Baha Mousa death inquiry today shows a British soldier screaming abuse at detainees.

Six prisoners with sandbags on their heads are seen spread around the edges of a bare room.

Their backs are to the walls and their arms are secured with plastic handcuffs.

The sound of moaning, whimpering and panting is heard as the detainees are forced to maintain "stress positions".

The soldier, identified as Corporal Donald Payne, formerly of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, paces toward one prisoner who is standing with his back to a window.

He stands over the prisoner and shouts: "Get fucking down! (Don't) fucking do that! Get down!"

At this point he pushes down on the detainee but when the man slips to the floor he shouts: "Get up! Get up!"

Cpl Payne switches his attention to the prisoner to his left who is pictured with his legs bent, back to the wall.

The soldier is heard shouting: "Get up you fucking ape, now! Get up now!"

He screams at the man repeatedly to "Get up!" before pulling him up and pushing him back against the wall.

Cpl Payne's face is obscured in the video because of reporting restrictions. He is wearing a black T-shirt, camouflage trousers and boots.

A civilian Iraqi interpreter who appears momentarily before the camera also has his face obscured for security reasons.

The prisoners are all dressed in shirts and trousers, with their shoes removed.

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