Telegraph : MI6 spy Gareth Williams was 'discovered in bed with hands tied to headboard'

MI6 spy Gareth Williams was 'discovered in bed with hands tied to headboard'

MI6 spy Gareth Williams was discovered in bed with his hands tied to a headboard when living in Cheltenham, the inquest in to his death heard.

By Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | April 25, 2012

Mr Williams was living in an annexe of his landlady Jennifer Elliot’s home in Cheltenham at the time.

He had to call for help in the middle of the night and when Mrs Elliot and her husband went to his yells they found him on the bed in just boxer shorts, his hands tied to the headboard.

He told them he was just “messing about” and trying to see “if I could get myself free”.

But in her written statement, Mrs Elliot said it was likely “to be sexual rather than escapology”.

He offered to pay more money (for rent) but she declined.

The court also heard that Mr Williams was “straight” and would never consider cross-dressing for sexual purpose.

Friend Elizabeth Guthrie, who had only known Mr Williams since 2009, said he may have had women’s clothing in his flat as “support strategy” for female friends.

Miss Guthrie, known as Missa, also revealed he had never talked of being followed in the weeks before his death.

She said he would not have let anyone in to his flat unless he had a “very strong relationship” with them.

She also said she worked out he was working for the security services and that he would sometimes go by another name and would call her from different phone numbers.

But she never asked about his work and he never discussed it, she said.

Miss Guthrie revealed the pair had planned to go to a fancy dress party in bright clothes and wigs as Manga characters - Japanese cartoon characters.

The inquest has already heard there was £20,000 worth of expensive women’s clothing and shoes in Mr Williams flat.

Miss Guthrie told the hearing at Westminster Coroner’s Court: “I have a personal view that he was straight”.

Asked if he had shown any interest in cross-dressing, she added: “Not of a sexual reference.

“He was going (to the fancy dress ball) as a ninja not a queen.”

Mr Williams’ naked and decomposing body was discovered in a padlocked North Face holdall in the bath of his two-bedroom rented flat in Pimlico, London on August 23 2010.

The inquest has already heard how fragments of DNA belonging to another person were discovered on the bag containing Mr William’s body.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire said it had always been her opinion that a third party was involved in locking the padlock on the bag and placing it in the bath.

However, she said the mystery DNA samples were so small police have been unable to build a usable profile in order to identify a suspect.

Westminster Coroner’s Court was also given in an insight into Mr William’s secretive life, including the revelation that he had 26 pairs of womens’ shoes and boots as part of a £20,000 collection of female clothing.

Sian Lloyd Jones, the 31-year-old’s best friend, rejected suggestions that Mr Williams had an interest in transvestism, insisting the large collection of designer clothing and footwear would have been intended as gifts.

A graphic showing how his naked body folded up in a “foetal position” inside with his arms across his chest has already been shown to the inquest.

As has a harrowing police video showing the interior of Mr Williams’ flat, shot shortly after officers arrived and including scenes of the bulging red bag which contained his body.

The inquest also heard that police had discovered a newspaper cutting that listed the main regrets as expressed by dying people.

The article had been removed from a copy of The Observer newspaper and was found stored in the living room area.

Almost 40 witnesses will give evidence during the hearing, which is expected to last eight days.

Mr Williams was a maths prodigy who graduated from Bangor University at the age of 17 before going on to complete a PhD and post-graduate studies at Manchester and Cambridge Universities.

After starting work for GCHQ in Cheltenham in 2001 he had been seconded to MI6, the secret intelligence service, where he qualified for “operational deployment” in the field.

But earlier the hearing was told that he was unhappy in London and disliked working for the Secret Intelligence Service.

He had applied to return to Cheltenham and had been due to transfer just weeks after he died.

The hearing continues.