The Hutton inquiry will hear evidence tomorrow from the widow of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, who killed himself after being dragged into a vicious row with the British government over the case for war in Iraq.
Mrs Janice Kelly (58) will give a poignant insight into her husband's state of mind hours before he died. Kelly committed suicide in July after being named as the source for a BBC report accusing the government of exaggerating the Iraqi threat,
His death plunged prime minister Mr Blair into the worst crisis of his six-year premiership and triggered a potentially explosive inquiry which has delved into details about how his government made its case for war in Iraq and how it treated Kelly.
The quietly spoken scientist was grilled by a parliamentary committee on July 15th over his unauthorised meeting with a BBC journalist. Two days after the occasionally hostile questioning, he slashed his wrist in woods near his home.
An inquiry spokesman said Mrs Kelly and her daughter Rachel were expected to go in person to the Royal Courts of Justice, where the inquiry is being held, but may give evidence via video link from a separate room.
The inquiry, which has already quizzed Mr Blair, also hears from Dr Kelly' sister, his daughter and her fiance, followed by friends, a psychiatrist and a religious leader later this week.
Media reports on Sunday said Dr Kelly's widow would tell of the intense pressure her husband felt after he admitted briefing a BBC reporter who had accused the government of "sexing up" a dossier on Iraq's weapons.