Westminster paid for inquest into death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams without funding help from government
May 25, 2012
WESTMINSTER City Council got no financial help from the government to cover the cost of the Gareth Williams inquest, thought to have cost many thousands of pounds, City Hall confirmed this week.
It said it footed the bill for the inquest into the death of the Pimlico-based MI6 agent, which concluded earlier this month.
West End Extra : Westminster paid for inquest into death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams without funding help from government
Friday, May 25, 2012
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ITV : Spy debate continues
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Spy debate continues
May 24, 2012
An expert who tried to lock himself inside a bag, during the inquest into the death of an MI6 spy, has dismissed claims that Gareth Williams could have died alone.
It follows claims today by pathologist Dr Richard Shephard that there was 'credible evidence' which police should investigate that it could be done. Peter Faulding told ITV Wales that the only way he could have locked himself inside would have left DNA evidence on the bath, and none was found.
May 24, 2012
An expert who tried to lock himself inside a bag, during the inquest into the death of an MI6 spy, has dismissed claims that Gareth Williams could have died alone.
It follows claims today by pathologist Dr Richard Shephard that there was 'credible evidence' which police should investigate that it could be done. Peter Faulding told ITV Wales that the only way he could have locked himself inside would have left DNA evidence on the bath, and none was found.
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BBC : 'Credible evidence' MI6 spy died alone, says pathologist
Thursday, May 24, 2012
'Credible evidence' MI6 spy died alone, says pathologist
[podcast]
By Philip Kemp | Radio 4's The Report | May 24, 2012
A leading pathologist says the possibility MI6 officer Gareth Williams died alone should be re-examined.
Dr Richard Shepherd told the BBC there is "credible evidence" that bags identical to the one Mr Williams was found in can be locked by someone inside the bag.
Expert witnesses at the inquest into Mr Williams' death failed to do so despite making hundreds of attempts.
However, evidence has since been published claiming it can be done.
Dr Shepherd, who conducted one of the post-mortem examinations of Gareth Williams, has previously worked on other high profile cases including the deaths of Princess Diana and the government scientist David Kelly.
He says the police should now re-examine the possibility Mr Williams died alone as part of their on-going investigations.
Speaking to Radio 4's The Report, he said: "Now that we have credible evidence that it is possible to lock the bag from the inside, whilst it doesn't rule out homicide, clearly the chances of this as a solitary sexual act have to be considered in any future investigation by the Metropolitan Police."
The Metropolitan Police said the circumstances of Gareth Williams' death continue to be the subject of a thorough investigation.
Mr Williams was found dead, locked in a bag located in a bath tub in his London flat in 2010. One key question before the inquest into his death was whether he had locked himself in the bag.
At the pre-inquest hearing, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said the question was central to her inquiries.
Confined space expert Peter Faulding told the inquest that while he could not rule out that it was possible, "even Houdini would have struggled with this one".
A second expert, William MacKay said he and an assistant had also failed despite making more than a hundred attempts.
Their evidence helped the coroner Dr Wilcox earlier this month come to the conclusion that Mr Williams was probably unlawfully killed.
New evidence emerges
However, journalist Claire Hayhurst claims she managed to lock herself in a similar bag after just five attempts under the guidance of a former soldier, Jim Featherstonhaugh, who claims to have figured out a technique.
"The trickiest part was getting the lock together which is the biggest riddle of it. I spent maybe two-and-a-half hours getting in and out, filming it, and most of that time was spent with me outside the bag desperately drinking water and trying to recover," she told the BBC.
"I'm not super-fit but I've been told I've got a similar build to Gareth.
"I'd agree that someone of exactly the same proportions would be a fairer comparison but I do think me doing it shows that it's certainly possible."
Claire Hayhurst stresses she worked under the supervision of safety experts and says any attempt to recreate the experiment would be highly dangerous.
Confined space expert Peter Faulding told The Report he stood by the evidence he gave to the inquest.
"None of my conclusions were wrong - a young girl zipping a bag doesn't discredit this inquiry whatsoever," he said.
"We were fully aware of other methods of being able to lock the bag but she or nobody could achieve it without leaving her DNA on the bath - and that's the key to this," he added.
It has also been pointed out that Claire Hayhurst did not lock the bag in exactly the same way as the holdall found in Gareth Williams' flat.
At the inquest into his death, Dr Fiona Wilcox said she was satisfied that a third party had been involved in moving the bag containing the MI6 officer into the bathroom of his flat.
[podcast]
By Philip Kemp | Radio 4's The Report | May 24, 2012
A leading pathologist says the possibility MI6 officer Gareth Williams died alone should be re-examined.
Dr Richard Shepherd told the BBC there is "credible evidence" that bags identical to the one Mr Williams was found in can be locked by someone inside the bag.
Expert witnesses at the inquest into Mr Williams' death failed to do so despite making hundreds of attempts.
However, evidence has since been published claiming it can be done.
Dr Shepherd, who conducted one of the post-mortem examinations of Gareth Williams, has previously worked on other high profile cases including the deaths of Princess Diana and the government scientist David Kelly.
He says the police should now re-examine the possibility Mr Williams died alone as part of their on-going investigations.
Speaking to Radio 4's The Report, he said: "Now that we have credible evidence that it is possible to lock the bag from the inside, whilst it doesn't rule out homicide, clearly the chances of this as a solitary sexual act have to be considered in any future investigation by the Metropolitan Police."
The Metropolitan Police said the circumstances of Gareth Williams' death continue to be the subject of a thorough investigation.
Mr Williams was found dead, locked in a bag located in a bath tub in his London flat in 2010. One key question before the inquest into his death was whether he had locked himself in the bag.
At the pre-inquest hearing, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said the question was central to her inquiries.
Confined space expert Peter Faulding told the inquest that while he could not rule out that it was possible, "even Houdini would have struggled with this one".
A second expert, William MacKay said he and an assistant had also failed despite making more than a hundred attempts.
Their evidence helped the coroner Dr Wilcox earlier this month come to the conclusion that Mr Williams was probably unlawfully killed.
New evidence emerges
However, journalist Claire Hayhurst claims she managed to lock herself in a similar bag after just five attempts under the guidance of a former soldier, Jim Featherstonhaugh, who claims to have figured out a technique.
"The trickiest part was getting the lock together which is the biggest riddle of it. I spent maybe two-and-a-half hours getting in and out, filming it, and most of that time was spent with me outside the bag desperately drinking water and trying to recover," she told the BBC.
"I'm not super-fit but I've been told I've got a similar build to Gareth.
"I'd agree that someone of exactly the same proportions would be a fairer comparison but I do think me doing it shows that it's certainly possible."
Claire Hayhurst stresses she worked under the supervision of safety experts and says any attempt to recreate the experiment would be highly dangerous.
Confined space expert Peter Faulding told The Report he stood by the evidence he gave to the inquest.
"None of my conclusions were wrong - a young girl zipping a bag doesn't discredit this inquiry whatsoever," he said.
"We were fully aware of other methods of being able to lock the bag but she or nobody could achieve it without leaving her DNA on the bath - and that's the key to this," he added.
It has also been pointed out that Claire Hayhurst did not lock the bag in exactly the same way as the holdall found in Gareth Williams' flat.
At the inquest into his death, Dr Fiona Wilcox said she was satisfied that a third party had been involved in moving the bag containing the MI6 officer into the bathroom of his flat.
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Telegraph : Police should still be open to possibility spy in bag died alone, says pathologist
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Police should still be open to possibility spy in bag died alone, says pathologist
Police should not rule out the possibility that MI6 spy Gareth Williams locked himself in the sports bag he was found dead in, a pathologist involved in the case has said.
By Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | May 24, 2012
Earlier this month, a coroner concluded Mr Williams was probably “unlawfully killed” after his decomposing naked body was discovered in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his Pimlico flat.
Part of the conclusion was based on evidence from confined spaces experts who tried, and failed, more than 400 times to lock themselves in a similar bag.
But shortly after the inquest, journalist Claire Hayhurst showed it was possible in a video.
Dr Richard Shepherd, a pathologist who carried out one of three post mortem examinations on Mr Williams, said that suggest “compelling evidence” that it might have been possible for him to do it as well.
The Metropolitan Police are still investigating the death and Dr Shepherd urged them not to rule out such a scenario.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4's The Report programme, the pathologist said: "Now that we have credible evidence that it is possible to lock the bag from the inside, whilst it doesn't rule out homicide, clearly the chances of this as a solitary sexual act have to be considered in any future investigation by the Metropolitan Police."
However, Peter Faulding, one of the experts who tried to lock himself in the bag, said he stood by his evidence to the inquest, when he said even Harry Houdini would have struggled.
Difference also remain between Miss Hayhurst’s attempt and the condition of the bag Mr Williams was found in.
The zip was padlocked in a different way and the inquest was told there was no DNA traces around the bottom of the bath, which experts said would have been there if he had climbed in himself, naked.
Police should not rule out the possibility that MI6 spy Gareth Williams locked himself in the sports bag he was found dead in, a pathologist involved in the case has said.
By Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | May 24, 2012
Earlier this month, a coroner concluded Mr Williams was probably “unlawfully killed” after his decomposing naked body was discovered in a padlocked holdall in the bath of his Pimlico flat.
Part of the conclusion was based on evidence from confined spaces experts who tried, and failed, more than 400 times to lock themselves in a similar bag.
But shortly after the inquest, journalist Claire Hayhurst showed it was possible in a video.
Dr Richard Shepherd, a pathologist who carried out one of three post mortem examinations on Mr Williams, said that suggest “compelling evidence” that it might have been possible for him to do it as well.
The Metropolitan Police are still investigating the death and Dr Shepherd urged them not to rule out such a scenario.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4's The Report programme, the pathologist said: "Now that we have credible evidence that it is possible to lock the bag from the inside, whilst it doesn't rule out homicide, clearly the chances of this as a solitary sexual act have to be considered in any future investigation by the Metropolitan Police."
However, Peter Faulding, one of the experts who tried to lock himself in the bag, said he stood by his evidence to the inquest, when he said even Harry Houdini would have struggled.
Difference also remain between Miss Hayhurst’s attempt and the condition of the bag Mr Williams was found in.
The zip was padlocked in a different way and the inquest was told there was no DNA traces around the bottom of the bath, which experts said would have been there if he had climbed in himself, naked.
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Wales Online : M16 officer Gareth Williams' death 'fits with sexual asphyxiation', says inquest pathologist
Thursday, May 24, 2012
M16 officer Gareth Williams' death 'fits with sexual asphyxiation', says inquest pathologist
By Julia McWatt, WalesOnline | May 24, 2012
A PATHOLOGIST in the inquest of MI6 officer Gareth Williams has said the case should be re-examined if claims by two individuals that they could shut themselves inside the sports holdall that Mr Williams’ body was found in turn out to be true.
A 16-year-old girl whose father Jim Fetherstonhaugh – a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery – developed a method of zipping up the identical North Face bag from the inside, and journalist Claire Hayhurst who used Mr Fetherstonhaugh’s method, both said they were successful in their attempts to shut themselves in the bag.
The naked body of Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, was discovered padlocked inside the holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London, on August 23, 2010.
Dr Richard Shepherd, who gave evidence at the inquest last month, told BBC Radio 4: “I think it brings once again to the fore the possibility that this was a solitary act by Gareth. From my point of view, as I look across the deaths associated with sexual asphyxiation, this is one that fits quite neatly into that group of practice, bizarre though it is.
“Certainly, I think this is a significant bit of evidence, which, if shown to be correct does need to be brought again into consideration."
Experts had told Mr Williams' inquest how they had tried unsuccessfully to lock themselves in the bag up to 300 times.
But Mr Fetherstonhaugh adopted a method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance. It is said to be the reverse of a trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, that are flexible with sides that can be pinched together.
His daughter Izzy, 16, who at 5ft 3ins was 3ins shorter than Mr Williams, fitted inside the bag.
He told swns.com: "She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference.
"She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn'y have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.
"She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in.
"Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop."
Ms Hayhurst, a reporter for swns.com, who is 5ft 4in tall and of a slight build similar to Mr Williams tested the method, and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.
The coroner had concluded Mr Williams' death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".
By Julia McWatt, WalesOnline | May 24, 2012
A PATHOLOGIST in the inquest of MI6 officer Gareth Williams has said the case should be re-examined if claims by two individuals that they could shut themselves inside the sports holdall that Mr Williams’ body was found in turn out to be true.
A 16-year-old girl whose father Jim Fetherstonhaugh – a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery – developed a method of zipping up the identical North Face bag from the inside, and journalist Claire Hayhurst who used Mr Fetherstonhaugh’s method, both said they were successful in their attempts to shut themselves in the bag.
The naked body of Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, was discovered padlocked inside the holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London, on August 23, 2010.
Dr Richard Shepherd, who gave evidence at the inquest last month, told BBC Radio 4: “I think it brings once again to the fore the possibility that this was a solitary act by Gareth. From my point of view, as I look across the deaths associated with sexual asphyxiation, this is one that fits quite neatly into that group of practice, bizarre though it is.
“Certainly, I think this is a significant bit of evidence, which, if shown to be correct does need to be brought again into consideration."
Experts had told Mr Williams' inquest how they had tried unsuccessfully to lock themselves in the bag up to 300 times.
But Mr Fetherstonhaugh adopted a method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance. It is said to be the reverse of a trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, that are flexible with sides that can be pinched together.
His daughter Izzy, 16, who at 5ft 3ins was 3ins shorter than Mr Williams, fitted inside the bag.
He told swns.com: "She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference.
"She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn'y have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.
"She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in.
"Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop."
Ms Hayhurst, a reporter for swns.com, who is 5ft 4in tall and of a slight build similar to Mr Williams tested the method, and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.
The coroner had concluded Mr Williams' death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".
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Telegraph : MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have locked himself in bag, pathologist suggests
Thursday, May 24, 2012
MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have locked himself in bag, pathologist suggests
MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have locked himself in the sports holdall in which he was found dead in his flat, a pathologist who examined his body has suggested.
By Murray Wardrop | May 24, 2012
Dr Richard Shepherd said the theory that the 31-year-old died after locking himself inside the bag should be re-examined after an Army veteran and a journalist appeared to demonstrate it is possible.
The question was central to the inquest into his death. However, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox concluded that on the "balance of probabilities" Mr Williams was unlawfully killed by a mysterious third party after experts claimed even world-famous escapologist Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to squeeze himself into the North Face holdall.
Earlier this month, Jim Fetherstonhaugh, a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery, and journalist Claire Hayhurst carried out experiments which appeared to show Mr Williams could have acted alone.
Dr Shepherd described their successful attempts to carry out the same feat as “significant” and said he had always believed that Mr Williams’s death may have occurred during a bizarre game.
The pathologist, who carried out a third post mortem examination of the spy’s body, said: “I think it brings once again to the fore the possibility that this was a solitary act by Gareth.
“From my point of view as I look across the deaths associated with sexual asphyxias this is one that fits quite neatly within that group of practice, bizarre though it is.
“Certainly, I think this is a significant bit of evidence, which, if shown to be correct does need to be brought again into consideration.”
Mr Williams, a maths prodigy, was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ when his body was found in August 2010. His badly decomposed remains were nside the bag which was placed in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, west London.
The inquest heard that two experts had tried in vain more than 400 times to lock themselves inside an identical holdall
Peter Faulding, a former Parachute Regiment reservist and expert in confined rescues, said he tried 300 times to lock himself inside the 81cm by 48 cm holdall but failed every time.
He told the inquest: “I can't say it was impossible but I think I even Houdini would struggle with that one. My personal belief is that it could not be done."
William MacKay and a colleague tried and failed 100 times but said he could not rule out that a genius might have managed it.
But Mr Fetherstonhaugh, 49, discovered a method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
He got his 16-year-old daughter and a 23-year-old female journalist to test the theory and found both managed to lock themselves inside a bag ths same as that in which Mr Williams's body was found.
However, Mr Faulding today dismissed the claims, telling the BBC: “None of my conclusions are wrong. A young girl zipping a bag doesn’t discredit this inquiry whatsoever.
“We were fully aware of other methods of being able to lock the bag but she or nobody could achieve it without leaving her DNA or trace on the bath and that’s the key to this.”
Mr Fetherstonhaugh's technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
His daughter Izzy, who at 5ft 5ins was 3ins shorter than Mr Williams, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
She then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh, of Shrewton, Wilts, said of Mr Faulding’s attempts: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.”
To test his technique Claire Hayhurst, a reporter for South West News, who is 5' 4" tall and of slight build similar to Mr Williams, zipped herself into the bag without assistance.
She repeated the task a number of times on video and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.
MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have locked himself in the sports holdall in which he was found dead in his flat, a pathologist who examined his body has suggested.
By Murray Wardrop | May 24, 2012
Dr Richard Shepherd said the theory that the 31-year-old died after locking himself inside the bag should be re-examined after an Army veteran and a journalist appeared to demonstrate it is possible.
The question was central to the inquest into his death. However, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox concluded that on the "balance of probabilities" Mr Williams was unlawfully killed by a mysterious third party after experts claimed even world-famous escapologist Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to squeeze himself into the North Face holdall.
Earlier this month, Jim Fetherstonhaugh, a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery, and journalist Claire Hayhurst carried out experiments which appeared to show Mr Williams could have acted alone.
Dr Shepherd described their successful attempts to carry out the same feat as “significant” and said he had always believed that Mr Williams’s death may have occurred during a bizarre game.
The pathologist, who carried out a third post mortem examination of the spy’s body, said: “I think it brings once again to the fore the possibility that this was a solitary act by Gareth.
“From my point of view as I look across the deaths associated with sexual asphyxias this is one that fits quite neatly within that group of practice, bizarre though it is.
“Certainly, I think this is a significant bit of evidence, which, if shown to be correct does need to be brought again into consideration.”
Mr Williams, a maths prodigy, was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ when his body was found in August 2010. His badly decomposed remains were nside the bag which was placed in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, west London.
The inquest heard that two experts had tried in vain more than 400 times to lock themselves inside an identical holdall
Peter Faulding, a former Parachute Regiment reservist and expert in confined rescues, said he tried 300 times to lock himself inside the 81cm by 48 cm holdall but failed every time.
He told the inquest: “I can't say it was impossible but I think I even Houdini would struggle with that one. My personal belief is that it could not be done."
William MacKay and a colleague tried and failed 100 times but said he could not rule out that a genius might have managed it.
But Mr Fetherstonhaugh, 49, discovered a method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
He got his 16-year-old daughter and a 23-year-old female journalist to test the theory and found both managed to lock themselves inside a bag ths same as that in which Mr Williams's body was found.
However, Mr Faulding today dismissed the claims, telling the BBC: “None of my conclusions are wrong. A young girl zipping a bag doesn’t discredit this inquiry whatsoever.
“We were fully aware of other methods of being able to lock the bag but she or nobody could achieve it without leaving her DNA or trace on the bath and that’s the key to this.”
Mr Fetherstonhaugh's technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
His daughter Izzy, who at 5ft 5ins was 3ins shorter than Mr Williams, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
She then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh, of Shrewton, Wilts, said of Mr Faulding’s attempts: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.”
To test his technique Claire Hayhurst, a reporter for South West News, who is 5' 4" tall and of slight build similar to Mr Williams, zipped herself into the bag without assistance.
She repeated the task a number of times on video and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.
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Gulf News : ‘I lost my youth in prison because of police blunder'
Monday, May 21, 2012
‘I lost my youth in prison because of police blunder'
Sam Hallam released after eight years in jail
Daily Mail, May 21, 2012
London: A shocking picture of the police blunders that caused a London teenager to spend nearly eight years wrongfully imprisoned for murder was revealed on Saturday for the first time.
Sam Hallam, just 17 at the time of his arrest in 2004, was freed on Wednesday by the Court of Appeal after it heard fresh evidence which demolished every aspect of the prosecution case.
In an interview on Saturday, Hallam also revealed that the police officer in charge of his botched case, Mick Broster, was the same detective whose subsequent investigation into the mysterious death of "body in the bag" MI6 agent Gareth Williams was strongly criticised by a coroner earlier this month.
Hallam, now 24, said: "When I was first arrested, I assumed I'd be home in a day or two, because I had faith in the system, and they had no credible evidence.
"Instead I went to prison and lost my youth, all because of the mistakes and errors made by the police and the courts. "They had the evidence all along that proved I wasn't lying.
"The Met must think Mick Broster is doing something right, because they promoted him, but he's not. Although the Williams case was also really important, he just went on making mistakes. There seems to be a pattern here.
"I'm not surprised he botched the ‘body in the bag' spy case. He's the one who stole eight years of my life for a murder I couldn't have done."
Hallam was convicted on the strength of flimsy witness statements, amongst other weak evidence.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force had nothing to add to a statement issued on Thursday, in which it expressed "regret: that Hallam had been wrongly imprisoned.
Sam Hallam released after eight years in jail
Daily Mail, May 21, 2012
London: A shocking picture of the police blunders that caused a London teenager to spend nearly eight years wrongfully imprisoned for murder was revealed on Saturday for the first time.
Sam Hallam, just 17 at the time of his arrest in 2004, was freed on Wednesday by the Court of Appeal after it heard fresh evidence which demolished every aspect of the prosecution case.
In an interview on Saturday, Hallam also revealed that the police officer in charge of his botched case, Mick Broster, was the same detective whose subsequent investigation into the mysterious death of "body in the bag" MI6 agent Gareth Williams was strongly criticised by a coroner earlier this month.
Hallam, now 24, said: "When I was first arrested, I assumed I'd be home in a day or two, because I had faith in the system, and they had no credible evidence.
"Instead I went to prison and lost my youth, all because of the mistakes and errors made by the police and the courts. "They had the evidence all along that proved I wasn't lying.
"The Met must think Mick Broster is doing something right, because they promoted him, but he's not. Although the Williams case was also really important, he just went on making mistakes. There seems to be a pattern here.
"I'm not surprised he botched the ‘body in the bag' spy case. He's the one who stole eight years of my life for a murder I couldn't have done."
Hallam was convicted on the strength of flimsy witness statements, amongst other weak evidence.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force had nothing to add to a statement issued on Thursday, in which it expressed "regret: that Hallam had been wrongly imprisoned.
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Express : DETECTIVE CRITICISED OVER TWO MAJOR CASES
Sunday, May 20, 2012
DETECTIVE CRITICISED OVER TWO MAJOR CASES
By Danny Boyle and Roddy Ashworth | May 20, 2012
THE detective in charge of a botched murder case that saw a man wrongfully jailed also led the investigation into the death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams, it emerged last night.
Sam Hallam was freed last week after spending more than seven years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
Mr Hallam was 18 when he was the victim of mistaken identity following the killing of a trainee chef in a gang attack at Clerkenwell, London.
Superintendent Mick Broster(corr) was heavily criticised for his handling of Mr Hallam’s case and for the probe into Mr Williams’s mysterious death by a coroner earlier this month.
Mr Hallam, 24, told a Sunday newspaper: “He’s the one who stole my youth for a murder I couldn’t have done.
“They had the evidence all along that proved I wasn’t lying.”
By Danny Boyle and Roddy Ashworth | May 20, 2012
THE detective in charge of a botched murder case that saw a man wrongfully jailed also led the investigation into the death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams, it emerged last night.
Sam Hallam was freed last week after spending more than seven years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
Mr Hallam was 18 when he was the victim of mistaken identity following the killing of a trainee chef in a gang attack at Clerkenwell, London.
Superintendent Mick Broster(corr) was heavily criticised for his handling of Mr Hallam’s case and for the probe into Mr Williams’s mysterious death by a coroner earlier this month.
Mr Hallam, 24, told a Sunday newspaper: “He’s the one who stole my youth for a murder I couldn’t have done.
“They had the evidence all along that proved I wasn’t lying.”
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Daily Mail : I'm not surprised the detective in the 'Body In The Bag' spy case botched it. He's the one who stole eight years of my life for a murder I couldn't have committed
Saturday, May 19, 2012
I'm not surprised the detective in the 'Body In The Bag' spy case botched it. He's the one who stole eight years of my life for a murder I couldn't have committed
By David Rose | May 19, 2012
Sam Hallam's wrongful life sentence triggered his grief-stricken father's suicide. Finally cleared last week, he tells his deeply shocking story.
A shocking picture of the police blunders that caused a London teenager to spend nearly eight years wrongfully imprisoned for murder is revealed today for the first time.
Sam Hallam, just 17 at the time of his arrest in 2004, was freed last Wednesday by the Court of Appeal after it heard fresh evidence which demolished every aspect of the prosecution case.
In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Sam also revealed that the police officer in charge of his botched case, Mick Broster, was the same detective whose subsequent investigation into the mysterious death of ‘body in the bag’ MI6 agent Gareth Williams was strongly criticised by a coroner earlier this month.
Sam, now 24, said: ‘When I was first arrested, I assumed I’d be home in a day or two, because I had faith in the system, and they had no credible evidence.
‘Instead I went to prison and lost my youth, all because of the mistakes and errors made by the police and the courts.
‘They had the evidence all along that proved I wasn’t lying.
‘The Met must think Mick Broster is doing something right, because they promoted him, but he’s not. Although the Williams case was also really important, he just went on making mistakes. There seems to be a pattern here.’
‘I’m not surprised he botched the “body in the bag” spy case. He’s the one who stole eight years of my life for a murder I couldn’t have done.’
Mr Broster, who was a detective chief inspector at the time of Sam’s arrest but subsequently promoted to superintendent, was heavily criticised in a three-year probe into Sam’s case.
Because the prosecution finally gave in last week and dropped its opposition to his appeal, much of the fresh evidence unearthed in the investigation from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) and Thames Valley Police was never disclosed in court.
But the Mail on Sunday has obtained exclusive details of the case.
‘Chaotic' inquiries didn't follow leads
We CAN reveal:
* Mr Broster and his deputy, Detective Inspector Chris Jones, did not follow national police guidelines on how to sift and record evidence. Their own case files suggest they did not read vital witness statements. Yet Mr Broster declined to be interviewed by Thames Valley Police, and failed to answer some written questions.
* According to the Thames Valley officer who led the new probe, the Met investigation was ‘chaotic’ and ‘uncontrolled’. Flimsy, unreliable evidence pointing to Sam was pursued, while other, apparently more credible suspects were eliminated, with no reason being recorded. One was a youth found with the possible murder weapon, who was later jailed for seven years for possessing a sub-machine gun and dealing crack and heroin.
* Sam could have been released last year, but had to stay in prison because the Crown Prosecution Service repeatedly insisted it intended to contest his appeal – then changed its mind halfway through the hearing last week. Yet the CPS was given all the fresh evidence last July, while prosecution barrister David Hatton advised that the CPS might have to ‘reconsider its position’ many months ago.
The delay had tragic consequences. It meant Sam was unable to visit his grandmother, Audrey, before she died of cancer in February. The Prison Service refused to let him attend her funeral.
Sam’s other grandmother, Dolly Cohen, also died since his trial, and in 2010, his father Terry took his own life, aged 56, because ‘he just couldn’t take any more’.
Sam’s mother, Wendy Cohen, said the suicide was direct result of the pressures of dealing with their son’s wrongful imprisonment.
Sam turned down offers of payment from other newspapers to talk exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, the newspaper which has championed his cause.
In his interview, Sam said he found the deaths of his father and grandmothers ‘too painful to discuss’.
A slight, shy man, he became visibly emotional when the subject came up. ‘I’m only just starting to grieve,’ he said. ‘I’m finding it very difficult. When I was walking out of the court last week, I was dazed and terrified. I was hyperventilating, and I thought my legs were going to give way.’
Case built on flimsy evidence
Sam has always insisted he was nowhere near the fight between rival gangs on October 11, 2004, in Hoxton, East London, in which Essayas Kassahun, 20, a trainee chef, was hit on the head by a sharp object. He fell into a coma and died two days later.
‘I knew some of the people on both sides, from school and just from living in the area,’ Sam said yesterday. ‘They weren’t friends, but it’s a close community: everyone knows who everyone is. But all the people who did know me said the same thing: that I wasn’t there.’
Presiding over last week’s appeal, Lady Justice Hallett pointed out that although the six other youths who stood trial for the attack all admitted they were present, only Sam ever said he was not involved at all.
There was no forensic or CCTV evidence that suggested he was lying. As for the identification evidence that did put him there, it was, the judge added, ‘flaky’, based at best on the ‘fleeting glimpses’ snatched by two witnesses, Phoebe Henville and Bilel Khelfa.
‘I only knew Phoebe by sight, but not to talk to,’ Sam said. ‘Bilel was at my school, but not in my year.’
He added that he was not even aware that the fight had happened for two days afterwards.
But his nightmare began shortly after Kassahun died on October 13, when Henville, who was with her friend Sarah Beattie, pointed to Sam in a street around the corner from his home.
He said: ‘A few minutes later I ran into them again, and one of them said to me, “Are you proud of yourself? He’s dead now.” I didn’t know what they were talking about.’
Recalling these events, Sam broke down for a moment, holding his face in his hands. ‘I’m sorry’ he said. ‘I just hate going over it. I went over it all so many times when I was still inside. Now I wish I could start to forget it.’
A rumour was going around the area that the first name of one of the murderers was Sam, and when they encountered Mr Hallam, Beattie told Henville that his name was Sam Hallam.
Henville had already been interviewed by police once, making no mention of him. But now she made a new statement, claiming she had recognised him as one of the killers.
Back at home: Sam Hallam outside his house in Hoxton with his mother Wendy Cohen - he spent more than seven years behind bars for a murder he insists he did not commit and had his conviction quashed by judges today
Khelfa, a close friend of Kassahun, had also been interviewed by detectives for hours.
Despite being desperately keen to help find the attackers, he mentioned nothing about Sam, nor anyone who resembled him.
But after talking to Henville, he too changed his story, claiming he had seen Sam standing over Kassahun with a baseball bat with a screw or nail protruding from its end.
He claimed he only mentioned this now because although his friend was lying in a coma, previously he had not taken the police investigation seriously – something that Lady Justice Hallett found ‘incredible’.
‘Verdict was the worst day of my life’
Sam was arrested on October 20. But he had faith that he would soon be cleared, given that he had never been in trouble with the police. At the time, he was working for his father in his kitchen-fitting business: ‘We were so close. I was his little helper, his handyman,’ he says proudly.
But although he was shocked to be charged and remanded in custody, he was sure the jury would find him not guilty – especially when Khelfa said in the witness box that Sam had not been at the fight at all, and even Henville admitted she was doubtful.
‘When Bilel retracted his statement and Phoebe said she wasn’t sure, I thought it was going to be thrown out,’ Sam said.
‘Everything was in my favour. I thought the case had collapsed. On the last day I packed all my stuff and took it to court because I thought I was going home.’
But his faith was misplaced. A year after the murder, Sam and another man, Bullabeck Ringbiong, were convicted.
‘It was the worst day of my life,’ Sam said. ‘When they announced the verdict, it felt as if my life was over. I couldn’t stand up. Everything went blurry, and I was shaking.
‘And then my own lawyers told me I had no grounds of appeal. So I thought, “That’s it.” ’
He was sent to Feltham Young Offenders Institution, a notoriously violent and insecure place in West London. ‘It was a tough environment,’ he said with a shudder. ‘Every day was awful. There may have been worse days and better days, but even the best days were terrible.’
‘From the start, this all smelled wrong’
Somehow, he managed to raise his hopes for his first, unsuccessful appeal in 2007, which was based on a legal argument that the evidence had been too weak to put before a jury.
By then, he had been transferred to a prison in Aylesbury, and Wendy went to visit him the day after it was dismissed.
‘It’s all been horrible, but that was the most horrible time of all,’ she said. ‘I still don’t know how he was holding himself together.’
Paul May, a veteran campaigner against miscarriages of justice, was already advising the family. After the failed appeal, he helped to organise a campaign for Sam.
He traced new witnesses who said he had not been at the fight, and in 2008, submitted an application to the CCRC. There it landed on the desk of investigator Glenn Mathieson. ‘From the start, the case smelled wrong,’ he said. ‘There was so little evidence.’
He obtained the entire case file from the Met, and as he worked through it, spotted an opening: crucial documents, which the police and CPS had failed to disclose to the defence.
They revealed that although there was indeed a rumour that a Sam had been at the murder, the police had initially been given the name of a different Sam entirely.
Mr Mathieson established not only that this person was real, he had close links with Ringbiong, the other man convicted of the murder.
His discovery prompted the CCRC to ask Thames Valley to carry out a full investigation. The conclusions reached by its team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Steve Tolmie, were devastating.
Yesterday Mr Tolmie, himself a seasoned murder squad chief told The Mail on Sunday. ‘The incident was chaotic, with a large number of young people, poor lighting, and poor quality CCTV.
‘The investigation required someone to take charge and ownership, and to give it a clear direction. That did not happen.’
Police flouted evidence guidelines
One reason was that Mr Broster was leading a further 14 major inquiries, most of them murders, at the same time – something Mr Tolmie described as ‘not acceptable for anyone’.
He said: ‘In the early stages, a case like this should take up 100 per cent of your time: you can’t afford to be dealing with anything else. That should be taken into account by the bosses – they should ensure you clear your calendar for as long as it takes.’
Mr Tolmie explained that long-standing national guidelines, which are drilled into detectives during their training and set out in thick manuals, are supposed to ensure the ‘quality control’ which was so conspicuously lacking in Sam’s case.
For example, every witness statement, interview or other inquiry document comes with a front ‘control sheet’, which the senior investigating officer and his deputy are meant to sign when they review the document. In the Hallam file, there are more than 800 such control sheets – not one of which was signed by Mr Broster or Mr Jones.
‘I suppose they could say they did check the documents but didn’t sign them,’ Mr Tolmie said. ‘But why would they do that?
‘This is the way you avoid errors. You simply have to be in control of the statements. The evidence suggests they weren’t.’
They also broke the rule that requires a log to be kept of all the documents which might have to be disclosed to the defence.
And after the first 48 hours, they failed to keep a ‘policy book,’ where they should have recorded all their decisions and the reasons why they took them.
Why was another suspect released?
One of the gaps in the record concerns a man called Tyrone Isaacs, who was arrested by the original inquiry. When interviewed, he made no comment.
At his home, police found a broomstick with a nail in it and a mobile phone without a back, of the same type as one stolen during the fight from Louis Colley, who was attacked with Kassahun but not killed.
A forensic lab found ‘a small dark hair’ and ‘debris that could include skin flakes’ around the nail on the broomstick. Unfortunately, by the time Thames Valley had it examined in 2009, it proved impossible to isolate a DNA sample, to see if this matched Kassahun.
Isaacs was released and the stick was returned to him, and the absence of a policy book meant no one could explain why this decision was taken. Just 14 months later, Isaacs was arrested and later convicted of possessing an Mac-10 submachine gun, two handguns and ammunition.
Similarly, the lack of records made it impossible to discover why the Met never examined Sam’s mobile phone. Had they done so, he would not have been convicted, because it contained photos that disproved the prosecution’s claim that he had concocted a false alibi.
They claimed this was evidence of his guilt to corroborate the ‘flaky’ identifications.
The Met claimed it could not ‘interrogate’ his phone because it was a new model, but as Lady Justice Hallett pointed out, all they needed to do was switch it on, press menu, and then go to photos.
They also had Sam’s number, which meant they could have established whether he was at the fight using ‘cell site analysis’ – a technique they employed with regard to other suspects.
'Even in prison, no one doubted me'
Last Thursday, just before the court handed down its judgement, Sam encountered Mr Tolmie and shook his hand.
‘It’s a moment I will always remember,’ Mr Tolmie said. ‘I’m used to investigating a crime in order to lock someone up.
‘The more I looked into this, the clearer it became that something wasn’t right. Justice has now been done.’
For Sam, the only good thing about going to prison was that ‘I don’t think I met anyone there who ever doubted me. Even the guards came out and wished me luck when I left to go to the appeal.’
From the moment the CCRC and Thames Valley began to investigate, his hopes were renewed. ‘Just to have someone looking at it was very encouraging,’ he said.
‘When I first met them and Steve Tolmie, they told me they were only doing their jobs. But it was my life, my freedom, and I cannot thank them enough.’
In July last year, the CCRC referred the case to the Court of Appeal. The Mail on Sunday’s Live magazine was given unprecedented access to the four-hour meeting which took that decision, and published an article in September.
Even though the CPS were made aware of the new evidence at the time, they persisted in their intention to fight the appeal right until the last minute.
Outside the court that released her son, Wendy said: ‘I knew this would happen, he should never have been in there. My family has gone through hell, it is like we were all being tortured.
Finally free, Sam told The Mail on Sunday that he ‘doesn’t yet know how I’ve changed, and until I settle down, I’m not going to. And for now, I don’t have a clue what I’m going to do’.
He added: ‘In prison, you know when dinner time is, when you’re going to bed, when you’re getting up. Now I have choices, and I don’t know what I’ll be doing in ten minutes, let alone tomorrow.’
Back home, surrounded by his family and the five close friends who continued to visit him every month of his incarceration, he says he is ‘starting to feel better’.
‘I thought it was going to feel strange, sleeping in a proper bed,’ he said. ‘It didn’t. Last night I had a bath, for the first time in more than seven years. It was wonderful.’
At the same time, he had missed so much. ‘When I was arrested, my little sister Daisy was eight. Now she’s a young woman, about to go to college. So much has changed.’ He added that he was determined to seek retribution from those who caused his ordeal.
‘The original police investigation was shockingly inept,’ his solicitor, Matt Foot, said yesterday. ‘The Mail on Sunday has now shown it was even worse than we imagined. We shall be exploring all the options to hold the police and those responsible to account for this dreadful miscarriage of justice.’
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force had nothing to add to a statement issued on Thursday, in which it expressed ‘regret’ that Sam had been wrongly imprisoned.
Commander Simon Foy, in charge of all Met homicide cases, said he was unable to make more detailed comments.
HOW THE BLUNDERING OFFICER IS A CONSULTANT ON THE SIDE
Superintendent Mike Broster has been touting for consultancy work, despite being heavily criticised over his handling of the Sam Hallam and Gareth Williams cases.
The 49-year-old is using the high-level security clearance that allowed him to interview MI6 and GCHQ officers in the ‘body in the bag’ inquiry as a selling point to possible employers who view his profile on the LinkedIn website.
He makes clear he is available for ‘consulting offers, job inquiries and business deals’, alongside his CV setting out his experience.
On the site for professional contacts, Mr Broster boasts of his ‘proven track record in achievement at the highest level’ – even though the coroner in the Williams case and official investigators in the Sam Hallam case criticised him over the handling of evidence and witness statements.
The detective is leaving the Metropolitan Police later this year, where he is currently serving with the counter-terrorism command.
On his LinkedIn profile, he says: ‘I currently lead and direct a number of teams involved in counter-terrorism investigations and have led on a number of recent high-profile inquiries.
He adds that he had ‘vast experience of working with partner agencies nationally and internationally [and] of homicide and serious crime investigations both within London and nationally, reactively and proactive’.
At the inquest into the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams, Westminster coroner Fiona Wilcox said Mr Broster’s failures had hampered the inquiry and questioned his impartiality, a charge he denied.
After the investigation which led to the wrongful jailing of Sam Hallam, he was criticised for not following reasonable lines of enquiry and not being in control of all the evidence.
A Met spokesman said Mr Broster’s website was a private matter and that police officers are allowed to perform secondary jobs with the permission of the Met Commissioner.
By David Rose | May 19, 2012
Sam Hallam's wrongful life sentence triggered his grief-stricken father's suicide. Finally cleared last week, he tells his deeply shocking story.
A shocking picture of the police blunders that caused a London teenager to spend nearly eight years wrongfully imprisoned for murder is revealed today for the first time.
Sam Hallam, just 17 at the time of his arrest in 2004, was freed last Wednesday by the Court of Appeal after it heard fresh evidence which demolished every aspect of the prosecution case.
In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Sam also revealed that the police officer in charge of his botched case, Mick Broster, was the same detective whose subsequent investigation into the mysterious death of ‘body in the bag’ MI6 agent Gareth Williams was strongly criticised by a coroner earlier this month.
Sam, now 24, said: ‘When I was first arrested, I assumed I’d be home in a day or two, because I had faith in the system, and they had no credible evidence.
‘Instead I went to prison and lost my youth, all because of the mistakes and errors made by the police and the courts.
‘They had the evidence all along that proved I wasn’t lying.
‘The Met must think Mick Broster is doing something right, because they promoted him, but he’s not. Although the Williams case was also really important, he just went on making mistakes. There seems to be a pattern here.’
‘I’m not surprised he botched the “body in the bag” spy case. He’s the one who stole eight years of my life for a murder I couldn’t have done.’
Mr Broster, who was a detective chief inspector at the time of Sam’s arrest but subsequently promoted to superintendent, was heavily criticised in a three-year probe into Sam’s case.
Because the prosecution finally gave in last week and dropped its opposition to his appeal, much of the fresh evidence unearthed in the investigation from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) and Thames Valley Police was never disclosed in court.
But the Mail on Sunday has obtained exclusive details of the case.
‘Chaotic' inquiries didn't follow leads
We CAN reveal:
* Mr Broster and his deputy, Detective Inspector Chris Jones, did not follow national police guidelines on how to sift and record evidence. Their own case files suggest they did not read vital witness statements. Yet Mr Broster declined to be interviewed by Thames Valley Police, and failed to answer some written questions.
* According to the Thames Valley officer who led the new probe, the Met investigation was ‘chaotic’ and ‘uncontrolled’. Flimsy, unreliable evidence pointing to Sam was pursued, while other, apparently more credible suspects were eliminated, with no reason being recorded. One was a youth found with the possible murder weapon, who was later jailed for seven years for possessing a sub-machine gun and dealing crack and heroin.
* Sam could have been released last year, but had to stay in prison because the Crown Prosecution Service repeatedly insisted it intended to contest his appeal – then changed its mind halfway through the hearing last week. Yet the CPS was given all the fresh evidence last July, while prosecution barrister David Hatton advised that the CPS might have to ‘reconsider its position’ many months ago.
The delay had tragic consequences. It meant Sam was unable to visit his grandmother, Audrey, before she died of cancer in February. The Prison Service refused to let him attend her funeral.
Sam’s other grandmother, Dolly Cohen, also died since his trial, and in 2010, his father Terry took his own life, aged 56, because ‘he just couldn’t take any more’.
Sam’s mother, Wendy Cohen, said the suicide was direct result of the pressures of dealing with their son’s wrongful imprisonment.
Sam turned down offers of payment from other newspapers to talk exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, the newspaper which has championed his cause.
In his interview, Sam said he found the deaths of his father and grandmothers ‘too painful to discuss’.
A slight, shy man, he became visibly emotional when the subject came up. ‘I’m only just starting to grieve,’ he said. ‘I’m finding it very difficult. When I was walking out of the court last week, I was dazed and terrified. I was hyperventilating, and I thought my legs were going to give way.’
Case built on flimsy evidence
Sam has always insisted he was nowhere near the fight between rival gangs on October 11, 2004, in Hoxton, East London, in which Essayas Kassahun, 20, a trainee chef, was hit on the head by a sharp object. He fell into a coma and died two days later.
‘I knew some of the people on both sides, from school and just from living in the area,’ Sam said yesterday. ‘They weren’t friends, but it’s a close community: everyone knows who everyone is. But all the people who did know me said the same thing: that I wasn’t there.’
Presiding over last week’s appeal, Lady Justice Hallett pointed out that although the six other youths who stood trial for the attack all admitted they were present, only Sam ever said he was not involved at all.
There was no forensic or CCTV evidence that suggested he was lying. As for the identification evidence that did put him there, it was, the judge added, ‘flaky’, based at best on the ‘fleeting glimpses’ snatched by two witnesses, Phoebe Henville and Bilel Khelfa.
‘I only knew Phoebe by sight, but not to talk to,’ Sam said. ‘Bilel was at my school, but not in my year.’
He added that he was not even aware that the fight had happened for two days afterwards.
But his nightmare began shortly after Kassahun died on October 13, when Henville, who was with her friend Sarah Beattie, pointed to Sam in a street around the corner from his home.
He said: ‘A few minutes later I ran into them again, and one of them said to me, “Are you proud of yourself? He’s dead now.” I didn’t know what they were talking about.’
Recalling these events, Sam broke down for a moment, holding his face in his hands. ‘I’m sorry’ he said. ‘I just hate going over it. I went over it all so many times when I was still inside. Now I wish I could start to forget it.’
A rumour was going around the area that the first name of one of the murderers was Sam, and when they encountered Mr Hallam, Beattie told Henville that his name was Sam Hallam.
Henville had already been interviewed by police once, making no mention of him. But now she made a new statement, claiming she had recognised him as one of the killers.
Back at home: Sam Hallam outside his house in Hoxton with his mother Wendy Cohen - he spent more than seven years behind bars for a murder he insists he did not commit and had his conviction quashed by judges today
Khelfa, a close friend of Kassahun, had also been interviewed by detectives for hours.
Despite being desperately keen to help find the attackers, he mentioned nothing about Sam, nor anyone who resembled him.
But after talking to Henville, he too changed his story, claiming he had seen Sam standing over Kassahun with a baseball bat with a screw or nail protruding from its end.
He claimed he only mentioned this now because although his friend was lying in a coma, previously he had not taken the police investigation seriously – something that Lady Justice Hallett found ‘incredible’.
‘Verdict was the worst day of my life’
Sam was arrested on October 20. But he had faith that he would soon be cleared, given that he had never been in trouble with the police. At the time, he was working for his father in his kitchen-fitting business: ‘We were so close. I was his little helper, his handyman,’ he says proudly.
But although he was shocked to be charged and remanded in custody, he was sure the jury would find him not guilty – especially when Khelfa said in the witness box that Sam had not been at the fight at all, and even Henville admitted she was doubtful.
‘When Bilel retracted his statement and Phoebe said she wasn’t sure, I thought it was going to be thrown out,’ Sam said.
‘Everything was in my favour. I thought the case had collapsed. On the last day I packed all my stuff and took it to court because I thought I was going home.’
But his faith was misplaced. A year after the murder, Sam and another man, Bullabeck Ringbiong, were convicted.
‘It was the worst day of my life,’ Sam said. ‘When they announced the verdict, it felt as if my life was over. I couldn’t stand up. Everything went blurry, and I was shaking.
‘And then my own lawyers told me I had no grounds of appeal. So I thought, “That’s it.” ’
He was sent to Feltham Young Offenders Institution, a notoriously violent and insecure place in West London. ‘It was a tough environment,’ he said with a shudder. ‘Every day was awful. There may have been worse days and better days, but even the best days were terrible.’
‘From the start, this all smelled wrong’
Somehow, he managed to raise his hopes for his first, unsuccessful appeal in 2007, which was based on a legal argument that the evidence had been too weak to put before a jury.
By then, he had been transferred to a prison in Aylesbury, and Wendy went to visit him the day after it was dismissed.
‘It’s all been horrible, but that was the most horrible time of all,’ she said. ‘I still don’t know how he was holding himself together.’
Paul May, a veteran campaigner against miscarriages of justice, was already advising the family. After the failed appeal, he helped to organise a campaign for Sam.
He traced new witnesses who said he had not been at the fight, and in 2008, submitted an application to the CCRC. There it landed on the desk of investigator Glenn Mathieson. ‘From the start, the case smelled wrong,’ he said. ‘There was so little evidence.’
He obtained the entire case file from the Met, and as he worked through it, spotted an opening: crucial documents, which the police and CPS had failed to disclose to the defence.
They revealed that although there was indeed a rumour that a Sam had been at the murder, the police had initially been given the name of a different Sam entirely.
Mr Mathieson established not only that this person was real, he had close links with Ringbiong, the other man convicted of the murder.
His discovery prompted the CCRC to ask Thames Valley to carry out a full investigation. The conclusions reached by its team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Steve Tolmie, were devastating.
Yesterday Mr Tolmie, himself a seasoned murder squad chief told The Mail on Sunday. ‘The incident was chaotic, with a large number of young people, poor lighting, and poor quality CCTV.
‘The investigation required someone to take charge and ownership, and to give it a clear direction. That did not happen.’
Police flouted evidence guidelines
One reason was that Mr Broster was leading a further 14 major inquiries, most of them murders, at the same time – something Mr Tolmie described as ‘not acceptable for anyone’.
He said: ‘In the early stages, a case like this should take up 100 per cent of your time: you can’t afford to be dealing with anything else. That should be taken into account by the bosses – they should ensure you clear your calendar for as long as it takes.’
Mr Tolmie explained that long-standing national guidelines, which are drilled into detectives during their training and set out in thick manuals, are supposed to ensure the ‘quality control’ which was so conspicuously lacking in Sam’s case.
For example, every witness statement, interview or other inquiry document comes with a front ‘control sheet’, which the senior investigating officer and his deputy are meant to sign when they review the document. In the Hallam file, there are more than 800 such control sheets – not one of which was signed by Mr Broster or Mr Jones.
‘I suppose they could say they did check the documents but didn’t sign them,’ Mr Tolmie said. ‘But why would they do that?
‘This is the way you avoid errors. You simply have to be in control of the statements. The evidence suggests they weren’t.’
They also broke the rule that requires a log to be kept of all the documents which might have to be disclosed to the defence.
And after the first 48 hours, they failed to keep a ‘policy book,’ where they should have recorded all their decisions and the reasons why they took them.
Why was another suspect released?
One of the gaps in the record concerns a man called Tyrone Isaacs, who was arrested by the original inquiry. When interviewed, he made no comment.
At his home, police found a broomstick with a nail in it and a mobile phone without a back, of the same type as one stolen during the fight from Louis Colley, who was attacked with Kassahun but not killed.
A forensic lab found ‘a small dark hair’ and ‘debris that could include skin flakes’ around the nail on the broomstick. Unfortunately, by the time Thames Valley had it examined in 2009, it proved impossible to isolate a DNA sample, to see if this matched Kassahun.
Isaacs was released and the stick was returned to him, and the absence of a policy book meant no one could explain why this decision was taken. Just 14 months later, Isaacs was arrested and later convicted of possessing an Mac-10 submachine gun, two handguns and ammunition.
Similarly, the lack of records made it impossible to discover why the Met never examined Sam’s mobile phone. Had they done so, he would not have been convicted, because it contained photos that disproved the prosecution’s claim that he had concocted a false alibi.
They claimed this was evidence of his guilt to corroborate the ‘flaky’ identifications.
The Met claimed it could not ‘interrogate’ his phone because it was a new model, but as Lady Justice Hallett pointed out, all they needed to do was switch it on, press menu, and then go to photos.
They also had Sam’s number, which meant they could have established whether he was at the fight using ‘cell site analysis’ – a technique they employed with regard to other suspects.
'Even in prison, no one doubted me'
Last Thursday, just before the court handed down its judgement, Sam encountered Mr Tolmie and shook his hand.
‘It’s a moment I will always remember,’ Mr Tolmie said. ‘I’m used to investigating a crime in order to lock someone up.
‘The more I looked into this, the clearer it became that something wasn’t right. Justice has now been done.’
For Sam, the only good thing about going to prison was that ‘I don’t think I met anyone there who ever doubted me. Even the guards came out and wished me luck when I left to go to the appeal.’
From the moment the CCRC and Thames Valley began to investigate, his hopes were renewed. ‘Just to have someone looking at it was very encouraging,’ he said.
‘When I first met them and Steve Tolmie, they told me they were only doing their jobs. But it was my life, my freedom, and I cannot thank them enough.’
In July last year, the CCRC referred the case to the Court of Appeal. The Mail on Sunday’s Live magazine was given unprecedented access to the four-hour meeting which took that decision, and published an article in September.
Even though the CPS were made aware of the new evidence at the time, they persisted in their intention to fight the appeal right until the last minute.
Outside the court that released her son, Wendy said: ‘I knew this would happen, he should never have been in there. My family has gone through hell, it is like we were all being tortured.
Finally free, Sam told The Mail on Sunday that he ‘doesn’t yet know how I’ve changed, and until I settle down, I’m not going to. And for now, I don’t have a clue what I’m going to do’.
He added: ‘In prison, you know when dinner time is, when you’re going to bed, when you’re getting up. Now I have choices, and I don’t know what I’ll be doing in ten minutes, let alone tomorrow.’
Back home, surrounded by his family and the five close friends who continued to visit him every month of his incarceration, he says he is ‘starting to feel better’.
‘I thought it was going to feel strange, sleeping in a proper bed,’ he said. ‘It didn’t. Last night I had a bath, for the first time in more than seven years. It was wonderful.’
At the same time, he had missed so much. ‘When I was arrested, my little sister Daisy was eight. Now she’s a young woman, about to go to college. So much has changed.’ He added that he was determined to seek retribution from those who caused his ordeal.
‘The original police investigation was shockingly inept,’ his solicitor, Matt Foot, said yesterday. ‘The Mail on Sunday has now shown it was even worse than we imagined. We shall be exploring all the options to hold the police and those responsible to account for this dreadful miscarriage of justice.’
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force had nothing to add to a statement issued on Thursday, in which it expressed ‘regret’ that Sam had been wrongly imprisoned.
Commander Simon Foy, in charge of all Met homicide cases, said he was unable to make more detailed comments.
HOW THE BLUNDERING OFFICER IS A CONSULTANT ON THE SIDE
Superintendent Mike Broster has been touting for consultancy work, despite being heavily criticised over his handling of the Sam Hallam and Gareth Williams cases.
The 49-year-old is using the high-level security clearance that allowed him to interview MI6 and GCHQ officers in the ‘body in the bag’ inquiry as a selling point to possible employers who view his profile on the LinkedIn website.
He makes clear he is available for ‘consulting offers, job inquiries and business deals’, alongside his CV setting out his experience.
On the site for professional contacts, Mr Broster boasts of his ‘proven track record in achievement at the highest level’ – even though the coroner in the Williams case and official investigators in the Sam Hallam case criticised him over the handling of evidence and witness statements.
The detective is leaving the Metropolitan Police later this year, where he is currently serving with the counter-terrorism command.
On his LinkedIn profile, he says: ‘I currently lead and direct a number of teams involved in counter-terrorism investigations and have led on a number of recent high-profile inquiries.
He adds that he had ‘vast experience of working with partner agencies nationally and internationally [and] of homicide and serious crime investigations both within London and nationally, reactively and proactive’.
At the inquest into the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams, Westminster coroner Fiona Wilcox said Mr Broster’s failures had hampered the inquiry and questioned his impartiality, a charge he denied.
After the investigation which led to the wrongful jailing of Sam Hallam, he was criticised for not following reasonable lines of enquiry and not being in control of all the evidence.
A Met spokesman said Mr Broster’s website was a private matter and that police officers are allowed to perform secondary jobs with the permission of the Met Commissioner.
Filed under
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Michael Broster,
Sam Hallam
by Winter Patriot
on Saturday, May 19, 2012 |
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Salisbury Journal : Army sergeant comes up with 'spy in the bag' solution
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Army sergeant comes up with 'spy in the bag' solution
Elizabeth Kemble | May 16, 2012
AN army sergeant from Shrewton has demonstrated how an MI6 code breaker found dead inside a padlocked holdall, could have climbed in himself.
Gareth Williams, 31, was found dead at a Security Services flat in London on August 2010.
Earlier this month an inquest concluded Mr Williams’ death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated" after an expert witness tried and failed to lock himself inside a similar bag.
But Sgt Jim Fetherstonhaugh remained intrigued by what has become known as the “spy in the bag” case and decided to experiment himself.
He got hold of a bag identical to the one used in the case and asked his 16-year-old daughter, Izzie, to climb inside.
They discovered that by drawing the two zips together a gap opened up enabling Izzie to put her hands through the spaces and padlock the zips together.
To completely close the bag, she then stretched out until the bag became taut and the zip closed itself.
Sgt Fethersonhaugh said: “I have always known locking bags like this with a padlock was never secure – it’s just a deterrent, if anything, as you can always get access to the bag by grabbing hold of the material on either side and pulling it apart.
“If you can pull back the zip on the outside then you can do the same from the inside.”
While Izzie is about 3ins shorter than Mr Williams at 5ft 5ins, her father said the method of padlocking the holdall would remain the same.
Sgt Fetherstonhaugh media informed the Met Police via the force’s 101 number but has yet to hear back from them.
“That chap at the inquest said he had tried it 300 times and it was impossible - it’s not,” he said. “Of course it would be more of a hindrance if you’re bigger but it was just to prove you can do it.
During the inquest two experts in confined space rescue or “unusual occurrences” tried and failed to climb into a bag unaided and lock it leading to one concluding that even famed escapologist Harry Houdini would have struggled.
Police investigations are continuing into the case.
Elizabeth Kemble | May 16, 2012
AN army sergeant from Shrewton has demonstrated how an MI6 code breaker found dead inside a padlocked holdall, could have climbed in himself.
Gareth Williams, 31, was found dead at a Security Services flat in London on August 2010.
Earlier this month an inquest concluded Mr Williams’ death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated" after an expert witness tried and failed to lock himself inside a similar bag.
But Sgt Jim Fetherstonhaugh remained intrigued by what has become known as the “spy in the bag” case and decided to experiment himself.
He got hold of a bag identical to the one used in the case and asked his 16-year-old daughter, Izzie, to climb inside.
They discovered that by drawing the two zips together a gap opened up enabling Izzie to put her hands through the spaces and padlock the zips together.
To completely close the bag, she then stretched out until the bag became taut and the zip closed itself.
Sgt Fethersonhaugh said: “I have always known locking bags like this with a padlock was never secure – it’s just a deterrent, if anything, as you can always get access to the bag by grabbing hold of the material on either side and pulling it apart.
“If you can pull back the zip on the outside then you can do the same from the inside.”
While Izzie is about 3ins shorter than Mr Williams at 5ft 5ins, her father said the method of padlocking the holdall would remain the same.
Sgt Fetherstonhaugh media informed the Met Police via the force’s 101 number but has yet to hear back from them.
“That chap at the inquest said he had tried it 300 times and it was impossible - it’s not,” he said. “Of course it would be more of a hindrance if you’re bigger but it was just to prove you can do it.
During the inquest two experts in confined space rescue or “unusual occurrences” tried and failed to climb into a bag unaided and lock it leading to one concluding that even famed escapologist Harry Houdini would have struggled.
Police investigations are continuing into the case.
Filed under
Izzy,
Jim Fetherstonhaugh
by Winter Patriot
on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 |
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This Is Somerset : Army veteran claims to have solved spy in a bag mystery
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Army veteran claims to have solved spy in a bag mystery
May 10, 2012
Body in the bag spy Gareth Williams could have easily locked himself inside the holdall in which he died, an Army veteran claimed yesterday.
The inquest into the MI6 agent's death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully attempted to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.
But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 – a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years – discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent, based at Cheltenham, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.
The teenager, who at 5ft 5in was 3in shorter than Gareth, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
Izzy then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Jim, of Shrewton, Wiltshire, served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.
He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.
He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drop – it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
"She is 5ft 5in and he was 5ft8in but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference. She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it. She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in. Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop. I wonder if the services do know this method – but they don't want it known."
A similar technique is known to be used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create 'slack' in the zip. This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him. A spokesman for the force refused to comment yesterday.
The revelation raises questions over the coroner's findings, which concluded Mr Williams' death "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".
Mr Williams' former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.
Scotland Yard's commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe this week said he has ordered a review of the investigation into the death of Mr Williams.
May 10, 2012
Body in the bag spy Gareth Williams could have easily locked himself inside the holdall in which he died, an Army veteran claimed yesterday.
The inquest into the MI6 agent's death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully attempted to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.
But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 – a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years – discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent, based at Cheltenham, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.
The teenager, who at 5ft 5in was 3in shorter than Gareth, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
Izzy then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Jim, of Shrewton, Wiltshire, served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.
He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.
He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drop – it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
"She is 5ft 5in and he was 5ft8in but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference. She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it. She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in. Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop. I wonder if the services do know this method – but they don't want it known."
A similar technique is known to be used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create 'slack' in the zip. This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him. A spokesman for the force refused to comment yesterday.
The revelation raises questions over the coroner's findings, which concluded Mr Williams' death "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".
Mr Williams' former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.
Scotland Yard's commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe this week said he has ordered a review of the investigation into the death of Mr Williams.
Filed under
foetal,
Izzy,
Jim Fetherstonhaugh,
mysterious
by Winter Patriot
on Thursday, May 10, 2012 |
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International Business Times : MI6 Spy In The Bag Gareth Williams: Army Veteran Shows Getting Inside The Sports Bag And Locking Self Is Easy
Thursday, May 10, 2012
MI6 Spy In The Bag Gareth Williams: Army Veteran Shows Getting Inside The Sports Bag And Locking Self Is Easy
By Drishya Nair | May 10, 2012
The compelling case of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, found dead and padlocked in a bag in 2010, is yet to be solved. A veteran army officer demonstrated how Williams could have zipped himself inside the sports bag without any help and perhaps been suffocated to death.
A retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery, Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49, says it is not only highly possible that Williams locked himself in the bag without any aid, but it is also a very simple and easy task to perform (including padlocking oneself).
Many MI6 agents, after Williams' death, tried more than 300 times to lock themselves up in similar sports bags but failed.
"The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it. I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it," Fetherstonhaugh said.
But the army veteran claims to have discovered a way in which one can get inside a bag, zip it and even lock it with a padlock, without any assistance.
The technique discovered by Fetherstonhaugh is apparently the reverse of a popular trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together, reports Mail Online.com.
Fetherstonhaugh, after discovering this method, called the police but has got not any response yet.
The ex-army sergeant was intrigued ever since Williams' mysterious circumstances of death hit headlines. To examine his theory, he asked his 16-year-old daughter Izzy to climb inside a similar North Face bag without any assistance.
Izzy, who stands 5ft 5ins (3ins shorter than Gareth) managed to easily fit inside the bag. She could not only draw the zip together but was also able to padlock herself.
The procedure can be carried out much more easily in a bathtub, since the occupant can push against the sides of the tub for assistance.
According to Fetherstonhaugh, when one is in a foetal position in the bag, the height of a person does not make too much of a difference, so the fact that Williams was 3 ins taller than Izzy wouldn't matter much.
"She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference. She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it," the army veteran said.
Now the question arises as to why the experts were unable to do the same. It seems, according to experts, there wasn't enough room to manoeuvre when the bag was kept in the bathtub.
It has been two years since Williams' death and despite extensive investigation, the case does not seem to be getting anywhere.
Police believe that at the time of the 31-year-old's death, a member of either MI6 or GCHQ was in the flat.
At the inquest, coroner Fiona Wilcox told Westministers coroner's court that it was "highly unlikely" that Williams got inside the red holdhall on his own.
There are no foot or fingerprints from the scene of death and fifteen of Williams' colleagues have already been swabbed for DNA samples.
In a recent development in the case, a green towel from a shelf in Williams's kitchen with traces of human residue was found. It could lead to a breakthrough in the case.
Williams' former landlords had reported of an incident at the inquest about how William had once handcuffed himself to a bed alone and needed assistance to free himself later. This points to a possible fetish for restraint that Williams might have harbored.
By Drishya Nair | May 10, 2012
The compelling case of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, found dead and padlocked in a bag in 2010, is yet to be solved. A veteran army officer demonstrated how Williams could have zipped himself inside the sports bag without any help and perhaps been suffocated to death.
A retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery, Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49, says it is not only highly possible that Williams locked himself in the bag without any aid, but it is also a very simple and easy task to perform (including padlocking oneself).
Many MI6 agents, after Williams' death, tried more than 300 times to lock themselves up in similar sports bags but failed.
"The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it. I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it," Fetherstonhaugh said.
But the army veteran claims to have discovered a way in which one can get inside a bag, zip it and even lock it with a padlock, without any assistance.
The technique discovered by Fetherstonhaugh is apparently the reverse of a popular trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together, reports Mail Online.com.
Fetherstonhaugh, after discovering this method, called the police but has got not any response yet.
The ex-army sergeant was intrigued ever since Williams' mysterious circumstances of death hit headlines. To examine his theory, he asked his 16-year-old daughter Izzy to climb inside a similar North Face bag without any assistance.
Izzy, who stands 5ft 5ins (3ins shorter than Gareth) managed to easily fit inside the bag. She could not only draw the zip together but was also able to padlock herself.
The procedure can be carried out much more easily in a bathtub, since the occupant can push against the sides of the tub for assistance.
According to Fetherstonhaugh, when one is in a foetal position in the bag, the height of a person does not make too much of a difference, so the fact that Williams was 3 ins taller than Izzy wouldn't matter much.
"She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference. She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it," the army veteran said.
Now the question arises as to why the experts were unable to do the same. It seems, according to experts, there wasn't enough room to manoeuvre when the bag was kept in the bathtub.
It has been two years since Williams' death and despite extensive investigation, the case does not seem to be getting anywhere.
Police believe that at the time of the 31-year-old's death, a member of either MI6 or GCHQ was in the flat.
At the inquest, coroner Fiona Wilcox told Westministers coroner's court that it was "highly unlikely" that Williams got inside the red holdhall on his own.
There are no foot or fingerprints from the scene of death and fifteen of Williams' colleagues have already been swabbed for DNA samples.
In a recent development in the case, a green towel from a shelf in Williams's kitchen with traces of human residue was found. It could lead to a breakthrough in the case.
Williams' former landlords had reported of an incident at the inquest about how William had once handcuffed himself to a bed alone and needed assistance to free himself later. This points to a possible fetish for restraint that Williams might have harbored.
Filed under
Fiona Wilcox,
foetal,
Izzy,
Jim Fetherstonhaugh,
mysterious
by Winter Patriot
on Thursday, May 10, 2012 |
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Las Vegas Sun : UK police to take DNA from spies in body probe
Thursday, May 10, 2012
UK police to take DNA from spies in body probe
The Associated Press | May 10, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
The Associated Press | May 10, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
Filed under
Bernard Hogan-Howe,
DNA,
Fiona Wilcox
by Winter Patriot
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Camden New Journal : Feature: A spook story that’s stranger than fiction
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Feature: A spook story that’s stranger than fiction
by JOSH LOEB | May 10, 2012
The death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams was not the result of a sex game.
He was not a transvestite.
And aspects of his personality suggest he may have had Asperger’s syndrome or something similar.
These are my personal views, but having attended all seven days of evidence at the inquest into his death, which concluded last week, I have more of an insight than most.
The inquest was like no other. Stairwells at Westminster Coroner’s Court were bristling with guards wearing high-visibility vests, who eyed reporters suspiciously; and members of the public – shifty old ladies who looked like they’d read too many spy thrillers scuttled in and out.
No one knows what Gareth did for MI6; because of concerns about national security, details of his work were not divulged in court.
What everyone knows is that the 31-year-old was found dead inside a padlocked holdall in a bath at his Alderney Street flat in Pimlico on August 23, 2010.
He was naked and was lying on his back, curled up in the partial foetal position.
There were no signs of a break-in or struggle, and there was no evidence of his footprints or fingerprints on the bathroom tiles or sides of the bath.
Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said Gareth’s death – his family asked for him to be referred to by his first name throughout the proceedings – was “unnatural and is likely to have been criminally mediated”.
In other words, an unknown person or persons had a hand in it, though Dr Wilcox said she believed Gareth had been complicit to some extent.
She accepted evidence from a pathologist that, given the position in which Gareth’s body was found and the lack of marks or bruising, it was virtually impossible someone could have manhandled him into the bag either after he was deceased or if he were still alive and resisting.
The evidence suggests he got into that holdall either willingly or having been coerced, and died within it. Someone else placed the lock and lifted the bag into the bath.
Gareth apparently only ever let vetted people inside his flat, so the third party was either someone he knew or someone who had entered uninvited.
So, what of the theory that he died during a sex game?
Prior to the inquest, stories appeared in the tabloids suggesting Gareth had an interest in claustrophilia, the love of confined spaces, but this was not borne out in evidence.
He had a collection of female clothing – surely an indication he liked to dress up as a woman?
Well, more likely not, actually.
From the evidence it seems possible that Gareth was a high-functioning autistic, which may have made him easy to manipulate.
He had virtually no friends and was a prodigious whiz with maths and computers.
An intellectually brilliant oddball, when a subject gripped his attention, it consumed his every thought.
Such was the case with fashion. He had enrolled on a fashion course, and experts who analysed his computers said 50 per cent of his internet browsing time consisted of him looking at websites about women’s clothes.
Compare this with 0.1 per cent of the time he spent looking at sites about bondage and you hardly walk away with an image of a slavering pervert.
Tellingly, Gareth appears never to have looked at material of an outright pornographic nature. One acquaintance said: “I did not think of him as being sexual at all.”
Prior to Gareth’s latest, all-consuming interest, he had been obsessed with maps, and he was mad on cycling, of which he had an encyclopedic knowledge down to the lowest sprocket.
He also exhibited a preoccupation with cleanliness sometimes associated with obsessive compulsive disorder.
None of the women’s fashion items Gareth owned showed much evidence of having been worn.
Most were found in their packaging.
He owned no female undergarments, nor a realistic wig – the wig found at his flat was florescent orange.
All this suggests he was not a transvestite.
The annexe of Marylebone Council House, the building that hosted the inquest, is located just steps from Sherlock Holmes’s fictional home in Baker Street, but perhaps even someone of the calibre of Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective might lack the ability to unravel what has already become known as The Alderney Street Mystery.
However, what if important clues were hidden in moments that have gone unreported?
On the third day of evidence, Dr Wilcox asked “F” – one of the secret service spooks giving evidence anonymously and behind a screen – whether, if Gareth had been in contact with anyone from the central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, he should have reported this to service’s vetting team. “F” said she could not answer for security reasons.
Cryptically, the coroner asked another witness whether Gareth had been in touch with someone by the name of Ibragimov.
And it emerged Gareth had told this witness that he would produce a fake degree certificate for a friend of hers as part of a prank.
I don’t know if these moments are of any relevance. They went unreported because they seemed to lead nowhere.
But who knows?
They might provide the army of amateur detectives now speculating about this most haunting case with another piece of the puzzle.
by JOSH LOEB | May 10, 2012
The death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams was not the result of a sex game.
He was not a transvestite.
And aspects of his personality suggest he may have had Asperger’s syndrome or something similar.
These are my personal views, but having attended all seven days of evidence at the inquest into his death, which concluded last week, I have more of an insight than most.
The inquest was like no other. Stairwells at Westminster Coroner’s Court were bristling with guards wearing high-visibility vests, who eyed reporters suspiciously; and members of the public – shifty old ladies who looked like they’d read too many spy thrillers scuttled in and out.
No one knows what Gareth did for MI6; because of concerns about national security, details of his work were not divulged in court.
What everyone knows is that the 31-year-old was found dead inside a padlocked holdall in a bath at his Alderney Street flat in Pimlico on August 23, 2010.
He was naked and was lying on his back, curled up in the partial foetal position.
There were no signs of a break-in or struggle, and there was no evidence of his footprints or fingerprints on the bathroom tiles or sides of the bath.
Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said Gareth’s death – his family asked for him to be referred to by his first name throughout the proceedings – was “unnatural and is likely to have been criminally mediated”.
In other words, an unknown person or persons had a hand in it, though Dr Wilcox said she believed Gareth had been complicit to some extent.
She accepted evidence from a pathologist that, given the position in which Gareth’s body was found and the lack of marks or bruising, it was virtually impossible someone could have manhandled him into the bag either after he was deceased or if he were still alive and resisting.
The evidence suggests he got into that holdall either willingly or having been coerced, and died within it. Someone else placed the lock and lifted the bag into the bath.
Gareth apparently only ever let vetted people inside his flat, so the third party was either someone he knew or someone who had entered uninvited.
So, what of the theory that he died during a sex game?
Prior to the inquest, stories appeared in the tabloids suggesting Gareth had an interest in claustrophilia, the love of confined spaces, but this was not borne out in evidence.
He had a collection of female clothing – surely an indication he liked to dress up as a woman?
Well, more likely not, actually.
From the evidence it seems possible that Gareth was a high-functioning autistic, which may have made him easy to manipulate.
He had virtually no friends and was a prodigious whiz with maths and computers.
An intellectually brilliant oddball, when a subject gripped his attention, it consumed his every thought.
Such was the case with fashion. He had enrolled on a fashion course, and experts who analysed his computers said 50 per cent of his internet browsing time consisted of him looking at websites about women’s clothes.
Compare this with 0.1 per cent of the time he spent looking at sites about bondage and you hardly walk away with an image of a slavering pervert.
Tellingly, Gareth appears never to have looked at material of an outright pornographic nature. One acquaintance said: “I did not think of him as being sexual at all.”
Prior to Gareth’s latest, all-consuming interest, he had been obsessed with maps, and he was mad on cycling, of which he had an encyclopedic knowledge down to the lowest sprocket.
He also exhibited a preoccupation with cleanliness sometimes associated with obsessive compulsive disorder.
None of the women’s fashion items Gareth owned showed much evidence of having been worn.
Most were found in their packaging.
He owned no female undergarments, nor a realistic wig – the wig found at his flat was florescent orange.
All this suggests he was not a transvestite.
The annexe of Marylebone Council House, the building that hosted the inquest, is located just steps from Sherlock Holmes’s fictional home in Baker Street, but perhaps even someone of the calibre of Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective might lack the ability to unravel what has already become known as The Alderney Street Mystery.
However, what if important clues were hidden in moments that have gone unreported?
On the third day of evidence, Dr Wilcox asked “F” – one of the secret service spooks giving evidence anonymously and behind a screen – whether, if Gareth had been in contact with anyone from the central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan, he should have reported this to service’s vetting team. “F” said she could not answer for security reasons.
Cryptically, the coroner asked another witness whether Gareth had been in touch with someone by the name of Ibragimov.
And it emerged Gareth had told this witness that he would produce a fake degree certificate for a friend of hers as part of a prank.
I don’t know if these moments are of any relevance. They went unreported because they seemed to lead nowhere.
But who knows?
They might provide the army of amateur detectives now speculating about this most haunting case with another piece of the puzzle.
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Telegraph : Woman successfully locks herself in spy holdall
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Woman successfully locks herself in spy holdall
A video demonstrating a technique that may have been used by spy Gareth Williams to lock himself into a holdall has been released.
May 9, 2012
Gareth Williams, the spy found dead in a holdall, could have locked himself inside the bag in which he died, an Army veteran has revealed.
The inquest into the MI6 agent's death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully tried to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.
But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 - a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years - discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
Reporter Claire Hayhurst from South West News Service applied Mr Fetherstonhaugh's technique and was able to lock herself into an identical North Face bag to the one Mr Williams was found in without assistance.
Ms Hayhurst, who is 4ins shorter than the spy, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
She then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh claims that, Mr Williams' taller height would not have made much difference.
He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and showed them and their jaws drop - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.
A spokesman for the force refused to comment.
Warning: members of the public are warned not to imitate the actions in this video
A video demonstrating a technique that may have been used by spy Gareth Williams to lock himself into a holdall has been released.
May 9, 2012
Gareth Williams, the spy found dead in a holdall, could have locked himself inside the bag in which he died, an Army veteran has revealed.
The inquest into the MI6 agent's death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully tried to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.
But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 - a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years - discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
Reporter Claire Hayhurst from South West News Service applied Mr Fetherstonhaugh's technique and was able to lock herself into an identical North Face bag to the one Mr Williams was found in without assistance.
Ms Hayhurst, who is 4ins shorter than the spy, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
She then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh claims that, Mr Williams' taller height would not have made much difference.
He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and showed them and their jaws drop - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.
A spokesman for the force refused to comment.
Warning: members of the public are warned not to imitate the actions in this video
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Scotsman : Gareth Williams death: Plans for DNA screenings as MI6 told to co-operate
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Gareth Williams death: Plans for DNA screenings as MI6 told to co-operate
May 9, 2012
MI6 was warned today it is not above the law as Britain’s top police officer revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
• Met Police Commissioner angered by communication breakdown
• MI6 under scrutiny after Gareth Williams inquest
• DNA screenings planned on a ‘voluntary basis’
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker’s body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard’s Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with protocol at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the “unacceptable” breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: “It’s the law.”
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a “voluntary” basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: “Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams’ death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored.”
Members of the secret services have come under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week’s inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry” that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
May 9, 2012
MI6 was warned today it is not above the law as Britain’s top police officer revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
• Met Police Commissioner angered by communication breakdown
• MI6 under scrutiny after Gareth Williams inquest
• DNA screenings planned on a ‘voluntary basis’
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker’s body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard’s Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with protocol at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the “unacceptable” breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: “It’s the law.”
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a “voluntary” basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: “Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams’ death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored.”
Members of the secret services have come under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week’s inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry” that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
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Windsor Star : Mystery killing calls for spy DNA
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Mystery killing calls for spy DNA
Star News Services | May 9, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
Star News Services | May 9, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
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Daily Mail : Army veteran claims spy-in-bag could easily have locked himself in holdall... and proves it with his 16-year-old daughter
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Army veteran claims spy-in-bag could easily have locked himself in holdall... and proves it with his 16-year-old daughter
* Teenager measures 5ft 5ins, just 3ins shorter than MI6 agent Gareth Williams
By Julian Gavaghan | May 9, 2012
Body in the bag spy Gareth Williams could have easily locked himself inside the holdall in which he died, an Army veteran revealed today.
The inquest into the MI6 agent’s death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully tried to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.
But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 - a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years - discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.
The teenager, who at 5ft 5ins was 3ins shorter than Gareth, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
Izzy then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Jim, of Shrewton, Wiltshire, served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.
He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.
He said: ‘The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn’t do it.
‘I’ve told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
‘She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you’re in the foetal position inside that height doesn’t make much difference.
‘She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn’t have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.
A similar technique is used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create ‘slack’ in the zip.
This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.
However, one of the reasons why other experts said they couldn't zip themselves in bags was because there wasn't enough room to manoeuvre in a bathtub.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force’s 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.
A spokesman for the force refused to comment today.
The revelation raises questions over the coroner’s findings, which concluded Mr Williams’ death ‘unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated’.
Mr Williams’ former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.
To test the method, reporter Claire Hayhurst, who is 5ft 4in tall and of slight build similar to Mr Williams, zipped herself into the bag without assistance.
She repeated the task a number of times on video and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.
* Teenager measures 5ft 5ins, just 3ins shorter than MI6 agent Gareth Williams
By Julian Gavaghan | May 9, 2012
Body in the bag spy Gareth Williams could have easily locked himself inside the holdall in which he died, an Army veteran revealed today.
The inquest into the MI6 agent’s death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully tried to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.
But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 - a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years - discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.
Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.
The teenager, who at 5ft 5ins was 3ins shorter than Gareth, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
Izzy then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Jim, of Shrewton, Wiltshire, served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.
He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.
He said: ‘The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn’t do it.
‘I’ve told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
‘She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you’re in the foetal position inside that height doesn’t make much difference.
‘She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn’t have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.
A similar technique is used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create ‘slack’ in the zip.
This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.
However, one of the reasons why other experts said they couldn't zip themselves in bags was because there wasn't enough room to manoeuvre in a bathtub.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force’s 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.
A spokesman for the force refused to comment today.
The revelation raises questions over the coroner’s findings, which concluded Mr Williams’ death ‘unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated’.
Mr Williams’ former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.
To test the method, reporter Claire Hayhurst, who is 5ft 4in tall and of slight build similar to Mr Williams, zipped herself into the bag without assistance.
She repeated the task a number of times on video and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.
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Telegraph : Spy death: It is possible to lock yourself into a bag, claims soldier
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Spy death: It is possible to lock yourself into a bag, claims soldier
By Richard Alleyne | May 9, 2012
A coroner concluded that Gareth Williams, the spy found dead in a bag, was probably unlawfully killed because experts were unable to lock themselves into the holdall – despite trying more than 300 times.
But now an amateur has shown that it can be done in a development which could throw the findings into doubt.
Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 – a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery – discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent Gareth Williams, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.
The teenager, who at 5ft 5 ins was 3 ins shorter than Mr Williams, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
Miss Fetherstonhaugh then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Sgt Fetherstonhaugh, of Shrewton, Wilts., served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.
He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.
He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops – it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
"She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference.
"She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.
"She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in.
"Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop. I wonder if the services do know this method – but they don't want it known."
A similar technique is used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create "slack" in the zip.
This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.
A spokesman for the force refused to comment.
The revelation raises questions over the coroner's findings, which concluded Mr Williams' death "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".
Mr Williams' former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.
Warning: members of the public are warned not to imitate the actions in this video
By Richard Alleyne | May 9, 2012
A coroner concluded that Gareth Williams, the spy found dead in a bag, was probably unlawfully killed because experts were unable to lock themselves into the holdall – despite trying more than 300 times.
But now an amateur has shown that it can be done in a development which could throw the findings into doubt.
Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 – a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery – discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.
Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent Gareth Williams, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.
The teenager, who at 5ft 5 ins was 3 ins shorter than Mr Williams, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.
She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.
Miss Fetherstonhaugh then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.
But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.
Sgt Fetherstonhaugh, of Shrewton, Wilts., served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.
He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.
He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.
"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops – it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.
"She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference.
"She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.
"She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in.
"Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop. I wonder if the services do know this method – but they don't want it known."
A similar technique is used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create "slack" in the zip.
This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.
Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.
A spokesman for the force refused to comment.
The revelation raises questions over the coroner's findings, which concluded Mr Williams' death "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".
Mr Williams' former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.
Warning: members of the public are warned not to imitate the actions in this video
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Holyhead and Anglesey Mail : Spy Gareth Williams probably killed unlawfully but death remains a mystery
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Spy Gareth Williams probably killed unlawfully but death remains a mystery
by Owen R Hughes, Bangor and Anglesey Mail | May 9, 2012
THE family of a spy “probably killed unlawfully” said their “grief is exacerbated” by MI6’s failure to raise the alarm after he went missing.
In a statement read out by their solicitor after the inquest, the family of Gareth Williams, from Valley, said they were “extremely disappointed” at the secret services’ “reluctance and failure” to make relevant information available to the inquiry.
They also attacked the “total inadequacies” of the inquiry by Metropolitan Police counter-terror branch SO15 into MI6 and called on Scotland Yard’s chief to look into how the investigation would proceed in light of this.
Reading the statement on behalf of the 31 year old’s parents, Ian and Ellen Williams, and sister Ceri Subbe, lawyer Robyn Williams said: “To lose a son and a brother at any time is a tragedy. To lose a son and brother in such circumstances as have been outlined during the course of this inquest only compounds the tragedy.
Click here to find out more!
“Our grief is exacerbated by the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries as to his whereabouts and welfare, which any reasonable employer would have taken.
“We are also extremely disappointed at the reluctance and failure of MI6 to make available relevant information.”
They described the brilliant code-breaker as a “special and adored son and brother” who they missed “every single day”.
Gareth’s naked body was found in a padlocked bag in the bath at his flat in London. He was thought to have been there a week.
He had been seconded to work at the M16 headquarters from GCHQ, the government listening station in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
At the inquest into his death last week, coroner Fiona Wilcox said his death may forever remain a mystery despite a 21 month police probe plagued by blunders.
In a narrative verdict, she said: “The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated. I am therefore satisfied that on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully.”
Mr Williams, of Valley, Anglesey, was suffocated by carbon dioxide, possibly as an onset of a short-acting poison, the coroner suggested.
MI6 apologised for failures in raising the alarm about his disappearance earlier as Dr Wilcox said several factors hampered inquiries. Breakdowns in communication by her own coroner’s office in ordering a second post-mortem examination, a DNA mix-up by forensics and late submission of evidence by MI6 to police were singled out.
Dr Wilcox also questioned why details of Mr Williams’s private life – that heaped embarrassment on his family – were leaked to the press.
She found it “highly unlikely” that Mr Williams got inside his North Face holdall alone, saying: “If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn’t care if he left any foot or fingerprints.”
by Owen R Hughes, Bangor and Anglesey Mail | May 9, 2012
THE family of a spy “probably killed unlawfully” said their “grief is exacerbated” by MI6’s failure to raise the alarm after he went missing.
In a statement read out by their solicitor after the inquest, the family of Gareth Williams, from Valley, said they were “extremely disappointed” at the secret services’ “reluctance and failure” to make relevant information available to the inquiry.
They also attacked the “total inadequacies” of the inquiry by Metropolitan Police counter-terror branch SO15 into MI6 and called on Scotland Yard’s chief to look into how the investigation would proceed in light of this.
Reading the statement on behalf of the 31 year old’s parents, Ian and Ellen Williams, and sister Ceri Subbe, lawyer Robyn Williams said: “To lose a son and a brother at any time is a tragedy. To lose a son and brother in such circumstances as have been outlined during the course of this inquest only compounds the tragedy.
Click here to find out more!
“Our grief is exacerbated by the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries as to his whereabouts and welfare, which any reasonable employer would have taken.
“We are also extremely disappointed at the reluctance and failure of MI6 to make available relevant information.”
They described the brilliant code-breaker as a “special and adored son and brother” who they missed “every single day”.
Gareth’s naked body was found in a padlocked bag in the bath at his flat in London. He was thought to have been there a week.
He had been seconded to work at the M16 headquarters from GCHQ, the government listening station in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
At the inquest into his death last week, coroner Fiona Wilcox said his death may forever remain a mystery despite a 21 month police probe plagued by blunders.
In a narrative verdict, she said: “The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated. I am therefore satisfied that on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully.”
Mr Williams, of Valley, Anglesey, was suffocated by carbon dioxide, possibly as an onset of a short-acting poison, the coroner suggested.
MI6 apologised for failures in raising the alarm about his disappearance earlier as Dr Wilcox said several factors hampered inquiries. Breakdowns in communication by her own coroner’s office in ordering a second post-mortem examination, a DNA mix-up by forensics and late submission of evidence by MI6 to police were singled out.
Dr Wilcox also questioned why details of Mr Williams’s private life – that heaped embarrassment on his family – were leaked to the press.
She found it “highly unlikely” that Mr Williams got inside his North Face holdall alone, saying: “If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn’t care if he left any foot or fingerprints.”
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Press TV : UK spy agency not above law in spy death inquiry
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
UK spy agency not above law in spy death inquiry
May 9, 2012
British spy agency has been warned it is not above the law after the suspected death of one of its agents, which experts say may have been engineered by the British secret services.
Scotland Yard’s Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the MI6 officers could have their DNA checked if they are recognized as suspects in the death of the agency’s former code-breaker Gareth Williams whose body was found in a bag in his London flat in 2010.
Hogan-Howe has also demanded that MI6 provides the police “unrestricted access” to its staff for DNA screening in connection with the case, which coroners say was a murder.
His call comes as inquirers in Williams’s case have now pinned their hopes to DNA samples, which they could compare to samples from a towel recovered from his kitchen after 21 months of investigations.
Last week coroner Fiona Wilcox said Williams has been probably murdered adding the secret services’ involvement in his killing “remained a legitimate line of inquiry.”
Hogan-Howe has made it clear that the law gives the inquirers enough power to ensure MI6 cooperates with the investigations.
AMR/GHN/HE
May 9, 2012
British spy agency has been warned it is not above the law after the suspected death of one of its agents, which experts say may have been engineered by the British secret services.
Scotland Yard’s Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the MI6 officers could have their DNA checked if they are recognized as suspects in the death of the agency’s former code-breaker Gareth Williams whose body was found in a bag in his London flat in 2010.
Hogan-Howe has also demanded that MI6 provides the police “unrestricted access” to its staff for DNA screening in connection with the case, which coroners say was a murder.
His call comes as inquirers in Williams’s case have now pinned their hopes to DNA samples, which they could compare to samples from a towel recovered from his kitchen after 21 months of investigations.
Last week coroner Fiona Wilcox said Williams has been probably murdered adding the secret services’ involvement in his killing “remained a legitimate line of inquiry.”
Hogan-Howe has made it clear that the law gives the inquirers enough power to ensure MI6 cooperates with the investigations.
AMR/GHN/HE
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Daily Post : MI6 not above law when it comes to spy Gareth Williams death
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
MI6 not above law when it comes to spy Gareth Williams death
by Our Correspondent, DPW West | May 9, 2012
BRITAIN’S top police officer warned MI6 it is not above the law, as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker’s body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard’s Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the “unacceptable” breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: “It’s the law.”
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a “voluntary” basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: “Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams’ death has nothing to do with employment.
“All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored.”
Mr Hogan-Howe said forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the review.
But he added: “This is not about criticising the forensic system.”
Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found in August 2010, is likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.
Members of the secret services have came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week’s inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry” that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico, central London.
by Our Correspondent, DPW West | May 9, 2012
BRITAIN’S top police officer warned MI6 it is not above the law, as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker’s body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard’s Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the “unacceptable” breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: “It’s the law.”
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a “voluntary” basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: “Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams’ death has nothing to do with employment.
“All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored.”
Mr Hogan-Howe said forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the review.
But he added: “This is not about criticising the forensic system.”
Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found in August 2010, is likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.
Members of the secret services have came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week’s inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry” that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico, central London.
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NZ Herald : Body in a bag: UK police to take DNA from spies
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Body in a bag: UK police to take DNA from spies
By Kim Sengupta | May 9, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
- AP
By Kim Sengupta | May 9, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
- AP
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Independent : MI6 officers could face DNA screening
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
MI6 officers could face DNA screening
Paul Peachey | May 9, 2012
Scotland Yard has ordered a forensic review and raised the possibility of a mass DNA screening of MI6 officers in a renewed effort to discover how the body of the codebreaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked inside a bag in his bath in 2010.
Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said yesterday that an independent forensic science expert would be brought in to examine the evidence. The private forensics company that is still working on the case had to apologise for a blunder that led investigators down the wrong path for more than a year.
Mr Hogan-Howe also said that the force would change the way it interviewed secret service officials after a senior policeman who acted as a go-between with MI6 failed to pass on key information. Nine memory sticks belonging to Mr Williams, 31, and a bag of the same make in which he was found were handed to police only last week.
Mr Hogan-Howe said it was "unacceptable" that the senior investigating officer (SIO) had not been told about the evidence. "In the future, I expect the SIO to have direct access to all witnesses and evidence without the counter-terrorist squad being in between them."
Paul Peachey | May 9, 2012
Scotland Yard has ordered a forensic review and raised the possibility of a mass DNA screening of MI6 officers in a renewed effort to discover how the body of the codebreaker Gareth Williams was found padlocked inside a bag in his bath in 2010.
Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said yesterday that an independent forensic science expert would be brought in to examine the evidence. The private forensics company that is still working on the case had to apologise for a blunder that led investigators down the wrong path for more than a year.
Mr Hogan-Howe also said that the force would change the way it interviewed secret service officials after a senior policeman who acted as a go-between with MI6 failed to pass on key information. Nine memory sticks belonging to Mr Williams, 31, and a bag of the same make in which he was found were handed to police only last week.
Mr Hogan-Howe said it was "unacceptable" that the senior investigating officer (SIO) had not been told about the evidence. "In the future, I expect the SIO to have direct access to all witnesses and evidence without the counter-terrorist squad being in between them."
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Mirror : Murder detectives to quiz spies for first time over body-in-a-bag death
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Murder detectives to quiz spies for first time over body-in-a-bag death
Met commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the secret intelligence service would be treated the same as any other organisation
Tom Pettifor | May 9, 2012
MURDER squad detectives are to quiz MI6 staff for the first time about the death of spy Gareth Williams, it was revealed yesterday.
Met commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the secret intelligence service would be treated the same as any other organisation as his officers reinvestigate the case.
He said: “All we need to do is make sure all areas of his life were fully explored.”
Staff will be screened for DNA on a voluntary basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe added that the Met would have complete access to MI6 material.
He branded it “unacceptable” that officers only learned of memory sticks and a holdall found at Mr Williams’ work at last month’s inquest, two years after his body was discovered.
A coroner ruled that Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, who was found locked in a bag in a bath in his London flat in 2010, was probably unlawfully killed.
Met commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the secret intelligence service would be treated the same as any other organisation
Tom Pettifor | May 9, 2012
MURDER squad detectives are to quiz MI6 staff for the first time about the death of spy Gareth Williams, it was revealed yesterday.
Met commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the secret intelligence service would be treated the same as any other organisation as his officers reinvestigate the case.
He said: “All we need to do is make sure all areas of his life were fully explored.”
Staff will be screened for DNA on a voluntary basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe added that the Met would have complete access to MI6 material.
He branded it “unacceptable” that officers only learned of memory sticks and a holdall found at Mr Williams’ work at last month’s inquest, two years after his body was discovered.
A coroner ruled that Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, who was found locked in a bag in a bath in his London flat in 2010, was probably unlawfully killed.
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Daily Mail : You are not above the law Met chief tells MI6 agents as he demands unprecedented access to solve spy-in-the-bag murder
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
You are not above the law Met chief tells MI6 agents as he demands unprecedented access to solve spy-in-the-bag murder
* Tests on microscopic human traces on a hand towel in the spy’s flat could identify his killer
* Employees at MI6 and GCHQ could face mass voluntary DNA screening within weeks
By Daily Mail Reporter | May 9, 2012
Britain’s top policeman told MI6 last night that no one is above the law as he demanded unprecedented access in a bid to solve the murder of spy Gareth Williams.
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said there was ‘nothing in law’ to stop police making secret agents give statements and forensic samples.
The Scotland Yard chief said employees at MI6 and GCHQ could face mass voluntary DNA screening within weeks.
Detectives believe tests on microscopic human traces on a hand towel in the spy’s flat could identify his killer.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: ‘There is no difference in law, as you would expect if someone has committed a serious crime, no matter who they are.’
Asked if MI6 will grant full access, he said: ‘They do not have to sign up to it, it is called the law. There is no reason why they need to agree to it.’
No one has been arrested over the murder of Mr Williams, whose naked body was discovered in a padlocked bag in the bath of his central London flat in August 2010.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: ‘There is no difference in law, as you would expect if someone has committed a serious crime, no matter who they are.’
Asked if MI6 will grant full access, he said: ‘They do not have to sign up to it, it is called the law. There is no reason why they need to agree to it.’
No one has been arrested over the murder of Mr Williams, whose naked body was discovered in a padlocked bag in the bath of his central London flat in August 2010.
His family lashed out at MI6 last week after a coroner ruled he was probably unlawfully killed and the case may never be solved.
Fears remain that the solution to the riddle of his death could lie within MI6 or that a secret agent could even be responsible for the murder.
Detectives investigating the mysterious death of the body-in-the-bag spy believe a killer could have slipped back into his flat through a skylight to cover his tracks, it has been claimed.
Many close to the case believe he was assassinated by a spy working for foreign powers because of his work for MI6 and the US National Security Agency.
Speculation over the exact nature of his work has been growing since Foreign Secretary William Hague signed a a document to stop details being released about his job on security grounds.
It has been claimed that MI6 and the government eavesdropping centre GCHQ, to which Williams was attached, have been working on a computer virus designed to disrupt Iran's nuclear programme.
Questions are also being asked as to how MI6 came into possession of a second iPhone belonging to Mr Williams when Police found only one at his flat.
* Tests on microscopic human traces on a hand towel in the spy’s flat could identify his killer
* Employees at MI6 and GCHQ could face mass voluntary DNA screening within weeks
By Daily Mail Reporter | May 9, 2012
Britain’s top policeman told MI6 last night that no one is above the law as he demanded unprecedented access in a bid to solve the murder of spy Gareth Williams.
Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said there was ‘nothing in law’ to stop police making secret agents give statements and forensic samples.
The Scotland Yard chief said employees at MI6 and GCHQ could face mass voluntary DNA screening within weeks.
Detectives believe tests on microscopic human traces on a hand towel in the spy’s flat could identify his killer.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: ‘There is no difference in law, as you would expect if someone has committed a serious crime, no matter who they are.’
Asked if MI6 will grant full access, he said: ‘They do not have to sign up to it, it is called the law. There is no reason why they need to agree to it.’
No one has been arrested over the murder of Mr Williams, whose naked body was discovered in a padlocked bag in the bath of his central London flat in August 2010.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: ‘There is no difference in law, as you would expect if someone has committed a serious crime, no matter who they are.’
Asked if MI6 will grant full access, he said: ‘They do not have to sign up to it, it is called the law. There is no reason why they need to agree to it.’
No one has been arrested over the murder of Mr Williams, whose naked body was discovered in a padlocked bag in the bath of his central London flat in August 2010.
His family lashed out at MI6 last week after a coroner ruled he was probably unlawfully killed and the case may never be solved.
Fears remain that the solution to the riddle of his death could lie within MI6 or that a secret agent could even be responsible for the murder.
Detectives investigating the mysterious death of the body-in-the-bag spy believe a killer could have slipped back into his flat through a skylight to cover his tracks, it has been claimed.
Many close to the case believe he was assassinated by a spy working for foreign powers because of his work for MI6 and the US National Security Agency.
Speculation over the exact nature of his work has been growing since Foreign Secretary William Hague signed a a document to stop details being released about his job on security grounds.
It has been claimed that MI6 and the government eavesdropping centre GCHQ, to which Williams was attached, have been working on a computer virus designed to disrupt Iran's nuclear programme.
Questions are also being asked as to how MI6 came into possession of a second iPhone belonging to Mr Williams when Police found only one at his flat.
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Independent : Scotland Yard boss Horgan-Howe warns MI6 over spy Gareth Williams death probe
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Scotland Yard boss Horgan-Howe warns MI6 over spy Gareth Williams death probe
Tom Morgan | May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer warned MI6 it is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard's Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: "It's the law."
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: "Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams' death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored."
Mr Hogan-Howe said forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the review.
But he added: "This is not about criticising the forensic system."
Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found in August 2010, is likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.
Members of the secret services have came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week's inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico, central London.
PA
Tom Morgan | May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer warned MI6 it is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard's Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: "It's the law."
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: "Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams' death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored."
Mr Hogan-Howe said forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the review.
But he added: "This is not about criticising the forensic system."
Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found in August 2010, is likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.
Members of the secret services have came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week's inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico, central London.
PA
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Beaver County Times (PA) : UK police to take DNA from spies in body probe
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
UK police to take DNA from spies in body probe
Associated Press | May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
Associated Press | May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
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Daily Herald (UT) : UK police to take DNA from spies in body probe
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
UK police to take DNA from spies in body probe
May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer says spies will be asked to give DNA samples in a bid to solve the mystery of an agent whose body was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his bathtub.
Last week an inquest concluded that Gareth Williams had probably been killed by another person in a "criminally meditated act."
Coroner Fiona Wilcox was critical of the MI6 spy agency, which failed to pass evidence to investigating police.
Williams, 31, worked for Britain's GCHQ eavesdropping service. He was attached to MI6 when his remains were found in August 2010.
Metropolitan Police Commisioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said Tuesday that detectives would conduct voluntary mass DNA screening of MI6 employees.
He said police needed to ensure "all areas of his life were fully explored."
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This Is London : Mass DNA tests for MI6 agents over death of spy Gareth Williams
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Mass DNA tests for MI6 agents over death of spy Gareth Williams
May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer warned MI6 it
is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the
long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard's Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: "It's the law."
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: "Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams' death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored."
Mr Hogan-Howe said forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the review.
But he added: "This is not about criticising the forensic system."
Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found in August 2010, is likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.
Members of the secret services have come under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week's inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico, central London.
May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer warned MI6 it
is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the
long-running Gareth Williams investigation.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard's Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: "It's the law."
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: "Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams' death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored."
Mr Hogan-Howe said forensics firm LGC, which was responsible for a mix-up early in the investigation, would not be in charge of the review.
But he added: "This is not about criticising the forensic system."
Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who has led the investigation since the body was found in August 2010, is likely to pass on the case to a colleague because she is being promoted.
Members of the secret services have come under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week's inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico, central London.
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ITN : Mass DNA screenings planned for MI6
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Mass DNA screenings planned for MI6
© REUTERS | May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer has warned MI6 it is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running investigation into the death of spy Gareth Williams.
Scotland Yard's Commissioner said an independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall.
Bernard Hogan-How has been angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication between the security services and the police, which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Following the inquest into Gareth Williams' death, members of the secret services have come under fresh scrutiny.
Giving her verdict at the inquest last week, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
© REUTERS | May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer has warned MI6 it is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running investigation into the death of spy Gareth Williams.
Scotland Yard's Commissioner said an independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall.
Bernard Hogan-How has been angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication between the security services and the police, which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Following the inquest into Gareth Williams' death, members of the secret services have come under fresh scrutiny.
Giving her verdict at the inquest last week, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
But inquiries have yet to yield a culprit, with forensic experts still hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.
Filed under
Bernard Hogan-Howe,
DNA,
Fiona Wilcox
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LBC : MI6 Staff Could Face Mass DNA Testing
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
MI6 Staff Could Face Mass DNA Testing
May 8, 2012
A independent forensic review could see mass DNA testing of MI6 workers - as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of spy Gareth Williams in Pimlico.
The MET Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe has warned MI6 it is not above the law - and says the screenings may involve a few or many members of the intelligence service.
Last week a coronor ruled the 31-year-old - found dead inside a locked holdall in his flat - was probably killed unlawfully.
May 8, 2012
A independent forensic review could see mass DNA testing of MI6 workers - as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of spy Gareth Williams in Pimlico.
The MET Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe has warned MI6 it is not above the law - and says the screenings may involve a few or many members of the intelligence service.
Last week a coronor ruled the 31-year-old - found dead inside a locked holdall in his flat - was probably killed unlawfully.
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Bernard Hogan-Howe,
DNA
by Winter Patriot
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Grantham Journal : Warning to MI6 over spy death probe
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Warning to MI6 over spy death probe
May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer has warned MI6 it is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running investigation into the death of Gareth Williams in central London.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard's Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: "It's the law." He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: "Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams' death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored."
Members of the secret services have came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week's inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico in August 2010.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2012, All Rights Reserved.
May 8, 2012
Britain's top police officer has warned MI6 it is not above the law as he revealed proposals for mass DNA screenings in the long-running investigation into the death of Gareth Williams in central London.
An independent forensics review will form a central part of fresh efforts to solve the 21-month inquiry into how the codebreaker's body ended up in a holdall, Scotland Yard's Commissioner said.
Bernard Hogan-Howe has also told detectives to deal directly with the intelligence agency in a break with tradition at the Metropolitan Police.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terror colleagues in a bid to obtain statements and evidence from MI6.
But Mr Hogan-Howe was angered by the "unacceptable" breakdown in communication which saw evidence fail to come to the senior investigating officer until last week at an inquest.
When asked what powers he had to ensure MI6 co-operated, he told reporters: "It's the law." He said mass screening in the case would be carried out on a "voluntary" basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: "Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams' death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored."
Members of the secret services have came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week's inquest said she was sure a third party locked Mr Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it "remained a legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services may have been involved in the death.
Mr Williams, a fitness enthusiast originally from Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bag in his flat in Pimlico in August 2010.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2012, All Rights Reserved.
Filed under
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Fiona Wilcox,
voluntary screening
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Telegraph : Police consider mass DNA screening of secret agents in hunt for spy in bag 'killer'.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Police consider mass DNA screening of secret agents in hunt for spy in bag 'killer'.
MI6 agents could be asked to volunteer DNA as part of a renewed bid to discover how Gareth Williams died, the head of the Metropolitan Police confirmed yesterday.
By Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent | May 8, 2012
Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the force was considering a mass screening programme among the spy’s colleagues at the Secret Intelligence Service.
But he stressed that without an official suspect in the case, they could not compel anyone to take part in a DNA screening programme.
Last week the coroner at Mr Williams’ inquest said the 31-year-old, whose naked, decomposing remains were found in a locked sports holdall, had probably been killed unlawfully by a mystery third party.
Dr Fiona Wilcox also raised the prospect that another spy may have been involved in his death, remarking that it was a “legitimate line of inquiry” for police.
Asked if he expected MI6 personnel to co-operate in the investigation, Mr Hogan-Howe said: “It’s called the law.”
The Met Commissioner also said a new independent forensics review would be launched in order to see if anything had been missed in the initial investigation.
Mr Williams' inquest heard how forensic scientists had found minute traces of DNA inside the apartment, but were unable to match them to a third party.
But the hearing was also told how weeks of investigative work were wasted, trying to find a match for a DNA trace found on the back of Mr Williams’ hand.
It later emerged that sample in fact belonged to one of the forensic scientists working on the case.
The forensics review will be carried out by a private firm, who were not involved in the original investigation.
Last week Dr Wilcox also voiced concern over the way potentially vital information was withheld from the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) in the case, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire.
Due to the sensitivity of Mr Williams’ work, interviews with SIS agents were conducted by members of the SO15 counter-terrorism unit and then passed to detectives.
But Mr Hogan-Howe said SO15 would now be taken off the case in order to remove the unnecessary “extra-layer” of investigators.
Mr Hogan-Howe said he believed problems that had occurred were the result of “miscommunication”, rather than a “mischief”, but said he expected the SIO to have direct access to all relevant information and witnesses.
The review of the case, which was demanded by Mr Williams’ family, is to be led by Hamish Campbell, head of the Met’s Homicide unit.
DCI Sebire, who was praised for her efforts by the family and the coroner, is likely to pass the case onto a colleague after being promoted.
MI6 agents could be asked to volunteer DNA as part of a renewed bid to discover how Gareth Williams died, the head of the Metropolitan Police confirmed yesterday.
By Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent | May 8, 2012
Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the force was considering a mass screening programme among the spy’s colleagues at the Secret Intelligence Service.
But he stressed that without an official suspect in the case, they could not compel anyone to take part in a DNA screening programme.
Last week the coroner at Mr Williams’ inquest said the 31-year-old, whose naked, decomposing remains were found in a locked sports holdall, had probably been killed unlawfully by a mystery third party.
Dr Fiona Wilcox also raised the prospect that another spy may have been involved in his death, remarking that it was a “legitimate line of inquiry” for police.
Asked if he expected MI6 personnel to co-operate in the investigation, Mr Hogan-Howe said: “It’s called the law.”
The Met Commissioner also said a new independent forensics review would be launched in order to see if anything had been missed in the initial investigation.
Mr Williams' inquest heard how forensic scientists had found minute traces of DNA inside the apartment, but were unable to match them to a third party.
But the hearing was also told how weeks of investigative work were wasted, trying to find a match for a DNA trace found on the back of Mr Williams’ hand.
It later emerged that sample in fact belonged to one of the forensic scientists working on the case.
The forensics review will be carried out by a private firm, who were not involved in the original investigation.
Last week Dr Wilcox also voiced concern over the way potentially vital information was withheld from the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) in the case, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire.
Due to the sensitivity of Mr Williams’ work, interviews with SIS agents were conducted by members of the SO15 counter-terrorism unit and then passed to detectives.
But Mr Hogan-Howe said SO15 would now be taken off the case in order to remove the unnecessary “extra-layer” of investigators.
Mr Hogan-Howe said he believed problems that had occurred were the result of “miscommunication”, rather than a “mischief”, but said he expected the SIO to have direct access to all relevant information and witnesses.
The review of the case, which was demanded by Mr Williams’ family, is to be led by Hamish Campbell, head of the Met’s Homicide unit.
DCI Sebire, who was praised for her efforts by the family and the coroner, is likely to pass the case onto a colleague after being promoted.
Filed under
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DNA,
Fiona Wilcox,
Jackie Sebire,
Telegraph
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Financial Times : MI6 screening considered in dead spy case
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
MI6 screening considered in dead spy case
By Helen Warrell and James Blitz
A Scotland Yard review of all the forensic evidence in the case of dead spy Gareth Williams may involve a DNA screening programme of MI6 employees, the Metropolitan Police commissioner said on Tuesday.
Bernard Hogan-Howe told reporters that from now on, the senior investigating officer would be able to approach MI6 personnel directly, without an anti-terrorism officer working as an intermediary.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terrorism colleagues in an attempt to obtain statements and evidence from MI6 as part of their investigation into Williams’s death.
When asked whether MI6 had agreed to greater access by the police team, the commissioner said: “They don’t have to sign up to it. It’s called the law.”
An inquest into the death of Williams – a talented codebreaker whose body was found zipped inside a locked holdall at his London flat in August 2010 – concluded that he was probably unlawfully killed.
Although the investigation leading up to the inquest did not identify any suspects, forensic teams have still not found a match for DNA found on a green towel in the spy’s kitchen.
The Met commissioner said that a screening programme on MI6 employees was one option under consideration, though he stressed this would be carried out on a “voluntary” basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: “Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams’s death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored.’’
However, he criticised an “unacceptable” breakdown in communication over potential evidence, which emerged during the inquest into Williams’s death, which concluded last week.
He said the senior investigating officer (SIO) would in future have complete access to all MI6 material, after it emerged a counter-terrorism officer did not tell the SIO, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, about potential evidence.
Members of MI6 came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week’s inquest said she was sure a third party locked Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry’’ that the secret services might have been involved in the death.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012.
By Helen Warrell and James Blitz
A Scotland Yard review of all the forensic evidence in the case of dead spy Gareth Williams may involve a DNA screening programme of MI6 employees, the Metropolitan Police commissioner said on Tuesday.
Bernard Hogan-Howe told reporters that from now on, the senior investigating officer would be able to approach MI6 personnel directly, without an anti-terrorism officer working as an intermediary.
Homicide detectives were previously forced to involve counter-terrorism colleagues in an attempt to obtain statements and evidence from MI6 as part of their investigation into Williams’s death.
When asked whether MI6 had agreed to greater access by the police team, the commissioner said: “They don’t have to sign up to it. It’s called the law.”
An inquest into the death of Williams – a talented codebreaker whose body was found zipped inside a locked holdall at his London flat in August 2010 – concluded that he was probably unlawfully killed.
Although the investigation leading up to the inquest did not identify any suspects, forensic teams have still not found a match for DNA found on a green towel in the spy’s kitchen.
The Met commissioner said that a screening programme on MI6 employees was one option under consideration, though he stressed this would be carried out on a “voluntary” basis.
Mr Hogan-Howe said: “Of course it may well be that Gareth Williams’s death has nothing to do with employment. All we need to do is to make sure that all areas of his life were fully explored.’’
However, he criticised an “unacceptable” breakdown in communication over potential evidence, which emerged during the inquest into Williams’s death, which concluded last week.
He said the senior investigating officer (SIO) would in future have complete access to all MI6 material, after it emerged a counter-terrorism officer did not tell the SIO, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, about potential evidence.
Members of MI6 came under fresh scrutiny after the coroner at last week’s inquest said she was sure a third party locked Williams inside the red holdall in which his naked body was found in his bathtub.
Giving her verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said the 31-year-old was probably killed and it “remained a legitimate line of inquiry’’ that the secret services might have been involved in the death.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012.
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Jackie Sebire
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