Iain West
Iain West(25 April 1944 – 23 July 2001)[1][2]was a Britishforensic pathologist.
Early life
[edit]West was born inGlasgow,Scotlandon 25 April 1944, the son of aSquadron leaderin theRoyal Air Force.[2]He was educated atCarre's Grammar SchoolinSleafordbefore returning to Scotland to study medicine at theUniversity of Edinburgh,graduating in 1967.[2]His early career interest washematologybut he quickly turned to forensic pathology whilst atAddenbrooke's Hospital,Cambridgeand studied withAustin Gresham.[2]
Career
[edit]West was involved in examining numerous deaths, many which are described in the bookDr Iain West's Casebook,which he published in collaboration with the journalist Chester Stern. From 1984 to 1998 he was head of the Department of Forensic Medicine atGuy's Hospital.
Among the deaths West investigated were that ofRobert Maxwell.Maxwell had fallen, jumped or been pushed overboard his yachtLady Ghislaineon 5 November 1991. West was commissioned by the insurance company to examine whether the death was accidental, a suicide or murder. £20 million were to be paid if the death was accident or murder.[3]West declared that Maxwell's death was likely to be suicide.[4]
West also carried out thepost-mortem examinationsof the BBC TV presenterJill Dando,[4]the British police officer Yvonne Fletcher who wasshot from the Libyan embassyin 1984,[5]and KenyanMinister for Foreign AffairsRobert Ouko.[6]
West also played a part in the release of the British soldierLee Cleggwho had been convicted for murder.[7]
Personal life
[edit]West's second wife was Vesna Djurovic, also a noted pathologist.
West died on 23 July 2001 in Hastings, East Sussex.
Publications
[edit]- Knapman, Paul A;West, Iain E(1989).Medicine and the Law.Heinemann Medical.ISBN0433187409.
References
[edit]- ^Hunt, Bill (28 July 2001)."Iain West".independent.co.uk.[dead link]
- ^abcdAnscombe, Allen (17 August 2001)."Obituary: Iain West".The Guardian.London:Guardian Media Group.Retrieved17 April2018.
- ^Stern (1996),p. 17.
- ^ab"Iain West: A witness to tragedy".BBC News.BBC.9 October 1999.
- ^Stern (1996),p. 37.
- ^"Africa Kenyan political murder back in court".BBC News.London:BBC.28 May 1999.Retrieved17 April2018.
- ^Stern (1996),p. 352-.
- Stern, Chester (1996).Dr Iain West's Casebook: The Chilling Investigations of Britain's Leading Forensic Pathologist.Little, Brown and Company.ISBN0-316-87788-3.