Leigh Day lawyers knew murder and torture claims against UK soldiers were false, tribunal hears

A leading law firm and three of its lawyers have been accused of allowing false claims of murder and torture to be made against British soldiers.

Martyn Day, the boss of Leigh Day solicitors, and two members of staff, Sapna Malik and Anna Crowther, all face charges linked to the alleged ambulance chasing in Iraq and the subsequent hounding of British soldiers.

It was alleged at a solicitors tribunal into their activities that over a period of seven years the three allowed the allegations to be made while knowing they were false.

The lawyers are said to have known their clients were members of the Shia militia, the Mahdi Army, and not "the innocent bystanders" that was later claimed.

As a result Leigh Day is accused of causing British soldiers and their families "years of torment".

Soldiers were questioned over actions during the Battle of Danny Boy near Basra in 2004. Credit: PA

Outlining the case against them, Tim Dutton QC told the tribunal the reality was soldiers had fought valiantly after they had "been subjected to a murderous ambush".

The events followed the Battle of Danny Boy near Basra in 2004.

Leigh Day are also accused of failing to disclose a document known as the 'OMS list' to other solicitors, the Ministry of Defence or the Al Sweady Inquiry, which investigated the allegations UK soldiers mistreated Iraqis.

This list showed the principal claimant, Kurd Al Sweady, and nine other claimants were all Mahdi Army members.

The Al Sweady inquiry found in 2014 the allegations were "wholly unfounded" and false.

The Al Sweady inquiry into allegations UK soldiers mistreated Iraqis cost £29 million. Credit: PA

If the list had been disclosed the inquiry, which cost £29 million of public money, "would have taken a very different course".

Instead it was alleged Leigh Day ignored the evidence they were receiving about Kurd Al Sweady "because they regarded him as central to their success".

It was claimed Leigh Day were very heavily invested in the Iraq business. In total the tribunal was told they had earned fees of £9.7 million.

To ensure they got the business, clients had to be referred to them. It is alleged they paid the equivalent of "bribes" to their agents in Iraq.

Leigh Day and three solicitors deny all 20 charges and say they will "strongly contest" the allegations.