Abuse case major 'told men to thrash prisoners'

The major at the centre of the Iraqi abuse scandal told his men to "thrash" prisoners, a court heard today.

Sergeant Major Wilton Brown told how Major Dan Taylor issued orders to his men to give Iraqi looters a "hard time".

The witness added that to "thrash" in the military sense was to put a person through their paces - but said the word could be misinterpreted. "In the context it was said in, it was to get hold of them and give them a hard time, work them as we brought them back in."

Earlier Major Taylor was accused of destroying evidence that he was to blame for prisoners being punished by throwing away his notebooks before three of his men were due to face a court martial.

He was also said to have made phone calls to senior officers to "get his story straight" before meeting his Brigadier.

At the court martial in Osnabr?ck, Germany, Corporal-Daniel Kenyon and Lance Corporals Darren Larkin and Mark Cooley face eight charges relating to photographs of prisoner abuse. The defence argues that Major Taylor, who was commanding officer of Camp Bread Basket in Basra, gave an illegal order which led to the alleged abuse. He has refused to accept blame for the alleged abuse, despite ordering his men to punish detainees.

Major Taylor's commanding officer, Colonel David Paterson, has told the court he was not briefed properly about the mission to capture the looters and believed they would be handed to military police.

The case continues.