Infected Blood Inquiry: Charity chairman admits 'disgraceful' comments

Haydn Lewis was infected with HIV and hepatitis in 1984 and died in 2010

A former charity leader has admitted using "totally disgraceful" language in describing someone with HIV he was helping as a "moaner" and "thick"

Peter Stevens chaired the government-established Macfarlane Trust, which helped haemophiliacs who contracted HIV and hepatitis from infected blood.

The former chairman made the remarks in emails about Haydn Lewis from Cardiff, who had both viruses.

Mr Stevens has been giving evidence to the Infected Blood Inquiry.

He said it was a "disgraceful use of language" and "totally inappropriate" and that he had later apologised in person, adding "the apology was accepted".

The inquiry is examining the circumstances under which people in the UK were given infected blood and blood products, particularly since 1970.

Mr Lewis became a campaigner for justice after he and his brother Gareth both contracted HIV and hepatitis following transfusions in 1984.

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After receiving an email from Mr Lewis in relation to the work of the charitable trust, Mr Stevens wrote to another member: "It is irritating that someboyd [sic] so thick can come up with such meddlesome suggestions."

The Infected Blood Inquiry heard Mr Lewis, who died in 2010 of liver cancer caused by hepatitis, had seen the message.

Infected blood donations were pooled and used in the 1970s and 80s for treatments

Mr Stevens said the use of the words was "deeply tragic" and he had travelled with other members of the Macfarlane Trust to Cardiff to apologise to Haydn and Gareth Lewis.

He said that afterwards they carried on with "normal relationships".

When asked why he had used those terms, Mr Stevens told the inquiry: "I don't know. It was too early in the morning to say I had been drinking.

"Haydn and I had engaged in considerable email communications and Haydn's were always long and verbose and quite trying to read at different times, and this was the culmination of a long series of communications which had probably tried my patience."

After a meeting where Haydn Lewis was present, Mr Stevens wrote to a colleague: "What a monumental waste of time, not just this afternoon, but all the previous hours spent nurturing that group of moaners."

Mr Stevens told the inquiry it had been a difficult meeting with people who wanted more services from the Macfarlane Trust than the organisation had the funds to achieve.

"They expressed their anger at us rather than the government and, in the end, it became trying on our patience to listen to personal attacks," he said. "I was accused of lying, but I didn't know what about."

When asked if it was his view that the participants in the meeting were "a waste of time and moaners" Mr Stevens told the inquiry: "Not all the time - some of the time."

'Disdain'

Mr Stevens was also asked about another email where he was discussing whether or not the trust should provide the same level of support for other family members of haemophiliacs who had also contracted HIV.

In it he wrote: "That would be a way of pissing off the Lewis contingent."

He admitted that he knew that Haydn's wife had been infected with HIV but told the inquiry: "I was simply saying it as a throwaway remark to a friend."

He denied that the communications showed "distain or contempt" for the beneficiaries of the Macfarlane Trust.

The trust, which had been initially established by the government, was wound up in 2017.