Supportive friends exchanged e-mails with Kelly until the eve of his death

Ben Russell,Political Correspondent
Thursday 04 September 2003 00:00 BST
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Dr David Kelly received a string of messages of support from friends and colleagues around the world immediately prior to his death, the inquiry heard yesterday.</p>Police found the messages as they examined paperwork and Dr Kelly's computer at his home as part of their investigation into his death.</p>In one e-mail, Alastair Hay, a professor of environmental toxicology, wrote: "The pressure you are under must be immense and I trust that you are able to find ways to get a break to help you stay above it all."</p>In another, Dr Geeta Kingdon wishes both Dr Kelly and his wife well, stating: "Whatever comes of it ... we hope the tussle between the BBC and the govt will not tarnish your impeccable reputation for integrity ... You were very much in our minds and prayers."</p>Dr Kelly replied to his well-wishers with politeness and gratitude, frequently stating that he was looking forward to returning to Baghdad, where he could focus on his "real work". However, in one e-mail, sent only a day before he died, he wrote to his friend Judith Miller: "I will wait until the end of the week before judging - many dark actors playing games."</p>The e-mails, made public yesterday, were uncovered as part of a murder-style police inquiry that was launched within hours of the scientist being reported missing.</p>Despite the tone of Dr Kelly's e-mail to Ms Miller, Michael Page, the assistant chief constable of Thames Valley Police, insisted yesterday he could find no evidence of a "third party" involved in the scientist's death.</p>Mr Page said his officers had made "extensive inquiries" into that and other e-mails, found after computer experts had searched through material on Dr Kelly's seven computers.</p>But Mr Page told the inquiry: "In terms of the scene of Dr Kelly's death and the complete absence of anything that would suggest the involvement of a third party, I remain confident that he met his death at his own hand."</p>Mr Page said he ordered the fullest possible type of inquiry after news that Dr Kelly's body had been found was relayed to his control room at Abingdon police station on 18 July.</p>He told the inquiry he drafted in Oxfordshire Special Branch officers to help in the search of Dr Kelly's home and ordered the Metropolitan Police Special Branch to search Dr Kelly's three offices in London and seize any documents relevant to his death. </p>

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