Wales Online : Spy's mother walks out of inquest

Spy's mother walks out of inquest

April 24, 2012

The mother of MI6 spy Gareth Williams has walked out on inquest proceedings amid family distress at delays in evidence.

Ellen Williams left the courtroom frustrated about legal submissions holding up the hearing into her son's death, her lawyer said.

Proceedings were delayed by more than 30 minutes for a second day as a coroner denied media applications to allow a court artist to take notes.

Mrs Williams was absent as Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire attempted to dash speculation that secret services removed evidence after Mr Williams was found dead in a sports holdall.

She said nobody was allowed in Mr Williams' London apartment without her knowledge after August 23, 2010.

"To the best of my knowledge I am sure that no one else got in," the detective told the hearing at Westminster Coroner's Court.

Counter-terror detectives attended because they deal with incidents involving intelligence agents, Ms Sebire said. But SO15 was not in charge, she added.

The inquest has heard Mr Williams had been unhappy living in London and complained about "friction" at the intelligence agency. He hated the post-work drinking culture and "flash car competitions" at the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), his sister Ceri Subbe said.

Mr Williams was due to move back to the West Country a week after his naked body was discovered padlocked inside a holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, west London, on August 23, 2010.

The discovery of the spy's body curled up in the large holdall at his top floor flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, sparked a painstaking investigation, worldwide media frenzy and several conspiracy theories.