The Litvinenko Inquiry

Part 3 | Chapters 1 to 5 | Alexander Litvinenko
k. Dr Nathwani recalled that it was on 21 November that the idea that
chemotherapeutic agents or radioisotopes could have been used to poison
Mr Litvinenko was first suggested by the pharmacist at UCH and colleagues at
the poisons unit 151
l. On the same day, Professor Henry was interviewed by journalists outside UCH,
after visiting Mr Litvinenko for a second time. During the televised interview,
Professor Henry expressed the opinion that Mr Litvinenko had been poisoned with
radioactive thallium. 152 Mr Clive Timmons (a Detective Superintendent in 2006)
recalled speaking to DS Mike Jolly, who had seen Professor Henry’s televised
interview, later on 21 November. DS Jolly suggested to Mr Timmons that it would be
useful to try to establish if radioactivity was affecting Mr Litvinenko. Consequently,
samples of Mr Litvinenko’s blood and urine were sent to AWE for testing 153
m. The blood and urine samples arrived at AWE in the early evening of 21 November.
Tests were conducted overnight 154
n. A meeting between police officers, the forensic science service, AWE and
Dr Nicholas Gent from Porton Down had been arranged for the following day,
22 November. During the meeting, the results of the urine tests at AWE, which
revealed that polonium was present in Mr Litvinenko’s urine, were discussed.
However, it was thought that this reading was an anomaly caused by the plastic
bottle in which the sample had been stored 155
o. Mr Timmons had requested that a ‘living post mortem’ be carried out on Mr Litvinenko
in order to try to establish the cause of his condition. In the course of the meeting
Dr Gent presented five causes that had been identified as possibly contributing
to his condition. 156 One possibility, an internal radiation source, appeared to fit
with the spike of polonium that had been identified in the tests at AWE. But those
present at the meeting were of the view that this was an unlikely cause. It was
decided that further investigation was needed. At AWE’s request, a further sample
of one litre of Mr Litvinenko’s urine was sent to AWE for further testing 157
p. The further urine sample arrived at AWE in the early afternoon of 23 November.
Further testing was conducted. The results, which confirmed polonium contamination,
were communicated to the police between about 3.00pm and 5.00pm 158
q. At 8.51pm on Thursday 23 November, Mr Litvinenko suffered a third cardiac
arrest. Mr James Down, ICU consultant, was on duty at the time and attempted
to resuscitate Mr Litvinenko. But it became clear to him that Mr Litvinenko was
not going to regain spontaneous cardiac output. The attempts to resuscitate
were terminated; at 9.21pm Mr Down pronounced life extinct. He confirmed that
Mr Litvinenko died from multiple organ failure including progressive heart failure 159
151
Nathwani 18/124
152
Henry 18/139-140
153
Timmons 22/7; INQ022258
154
INQ022258
155
Timmons 22/7
156
Timmons 22/8
157
Timmons 22/9-10; INQ022258
158
Timmons 22/10; INQ022258
159
Down 18/144
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