Independent : Dead spy Gareth Williams' sister casts new doubt on official account of his death

Dead spy Gareth Williams' sister casts new doubt on official account of his death

No alarm was raised over disappearance despite missed meeting, says Williams’ sister

Kim Sengupta | April 24, 2012

Gareth Williams, the MI6 officer who was found dead in a padlocked holdall in his bath, was so unhappy about "friction" at work and the "rat race" that he had asked for a transfer back to his previous post, his family has disclosed. The 31-year-old cipher specialist died a week before he had been due to return to work at GCHQ, the government listening post.

"He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race," his sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest into his death yesterday. "He even spoke of friction in the office. The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with."

Mr Williams's family believes that he may have been executed by secret agents specialising in the "dark arts", with a cover-up subsequently organised to ensure the that his killers did not face justice.

Yesterday Ms Subbe insisted it was inconceivable that her brother would have voluntarily allowed anyone who had not been cleared by the security agencies into his home in Pimlico, south-west London. "He was very strict about only allowing people who had been vetted to visit his flat. I cannot emphasise enough his conscientiousness," she stressed.

"Gareth did not tell us what specifically he did as a job. Of course we knew where he worked, but he didn't speak about it in any detail."

On 23 August 2010, Mr Williams's family contacted MI6 after not having heard from him for over a week.

On 16 August, he had failed to turn up to chair a meeting at MI6 and was not seen subsequently until the discovery of his naked and decomposing remains. Ms Subbe said she had later spoken to an officer from MI6 who told her that her brother was extremely punctual "and it was highly unlikely for him to miss a meeting like that". Yet no alarm was raised by MI6 over an operative suddenly going missing.

The coroner, Fiona Wilcox, acknowledged that Mr Williams's death was "highly controversial" and has led to a "great deal of anxiety". Agents from MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service) and GCHQ will be giving their evidence from behind a screen. There would be "a real risk of harm to national security and international relations" if some of those giving evidence were identified, she said.

The inquest heard Mr Williams was a prodigy who took his O-levels aged 10 and began a degree course at Bangor University aged 16. Ms Subbe told the court that her brother "adored music, theatre and the arts, and fashion" and had undertaken two six-week design courses at Central St Martin's in London.

Officers from GCHQ and MI6 had held that Gareth Williams organised his own accommodation privately in the house at Alderney Street, Pimlico, as Anthony O'Toole QC, speaking for his family, pointed out. But there was evidence, he claimed, that it was a "safe house" used by the intelligence service. The inquest heard a statement from Vanessa Scott, who worked for an estate agency, W A Ellis, saying: "The Secretary of State had taken a contract on the property in 2003 and the tenancy would be continued."

The Scotland Yard homicide team carrying out the investigation into Mr Williams's death was not able to talk directly to members of MI6 and GCHQ, the inquest was told. Instead they had to give their questions to SO15, the Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command, which carried out the interviews on their behalf.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, from the Yard's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, stressed that the agencies co-operated fully with Scotland Yard, adding he was not aware of MI5, MI6 or SO15 carrying out their own independent investigations into Mr Williams's death. Asked by Dr Wilcox whether she was surprised that women's clothes worth £20,000 had been found at her brother's place, Ms Subbe said they were "possibly a gift", as her brother had been generous.

She had not, however, been given any clothes herself and did not know of anyone else who had received any items.

PC John Gallagher, who found Mr Williams's body, said his attention was caught on entering the flat by a woman's wig hanging on a chair as well as a mobile phone and two SIM cards on a table.

On going into the bathroom he noticed a bulging red holdall in the bath with the zip padlocked together. "I am realising it is something serious and my concern was to not damage anything in a crime scene." He lifted the bag up, when he could see red fluid seeping out. "Then there was the smell," he said. "Probably as a result of moving the bag. It is unusual because normally you would expect to smell it earlier," he said.

The inquest continues.

Williams's death: Timeline

11 August 2010 Mr Williams returns to Britain from a fly-drive holiday to the West coast of the United States.

15 August He is captured on CCTV in London's Knightsbridge after shopping at Harrods.

16 August He fails to turn up at MI6 to chair a meeting. No alarm is raised.

23 August Mr Williams's family alerts the police after not hearing from him for a week. His body is discovered padlocked inside a holdall in a bath in his top-floor flat at 36 Alderney Street in Pimlico.

1 September Westminster Coroner's Court hears a post-mortem examination has failed to establish the cause of death.

30 March 2012 A pre-inquest review hears that Mr Williams's family suspects an agent specialising in the "dark arts" may have covered up his death.

This Is London : Parents of MI6 spy Gareth Williams refuse to watch video of his body in holdall bag

Parents of MI6 spy Gareth Williams refuse to watch video of his body in holdall bag

Paul Cheston | April 24, 2012

The parents of MI6 spy Gareth Williams today refused to watch a police video of their son dead in a bag in his bath.

Ian and Ellen Williams walked out after coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox spoke of the “severe distress they are operating under and the clear grief they are still experiencing”.

The video led from the front door in Alderney Street, Pimlico, to the en-suite bathroom.

The scarlet red North Face holdall lay in the middle of the small bath. It was locked with a Yale padlock securing the zip and two eyelets in a way, which, the court heard, made it particularly hard to lock and release.

Not a trace of blood could be seen and every inch of the bath, basin, lavatory and shower unit gleaned brightly. The inquest at Westminster coroner’s court was told that not one scrap of relevant forensic evidence was found in the flat.

The naked and decomposed body of Mr Williams, 31, was found in August 2010. He had been on secondment from GCHQ to MI6. Later a 3D graphic showed how his body was found in the bag.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire told the court: “In my opinion his face was very calm. He was unclothed and in a foetal position with his legs folded towards his chest and his arms slightly bent lying on his chest. There’s no injuries to his nails, nail beds or fingers.

“While the bag zips are double stitched there’s no signs of stress or tearing to them. Nor is there any sign of tearing to the netting in the bag.”

The officer said Mr Williams was extremely fit and there would have been clear signs of damage had he put up a struggle.

Forensic scientists are still working on unidentified components of DNA found on the bag in which MI6 spy Gareth Williams died, the inquest heard this afternoon.

DCI Sebire, said: "there is still work to be done."

Microscopic traces were found on the padlock and a toggle attached to the outside of the bag.

She said there was no evidence that the flat had been forensically cleaned and evidence destroyed before the police arrived eight days after Mr Willams was last seen live.

She added: "The heart of the case is whether Gareth locked himself in the bag or whether somebody locked him in.

"I have always been open minded but it has been my opinion from an early stage that a third party was involved in padlocking the bag and the bag being placed in the bath."

On the bottom of the bag beneath his body there was a set of two keys which fitted the Yale padlock. Although the oven door was open in the kitchen there were no signs of a disturbance in the flat.

In the living room a bright orange and yellow woman’s wig hung on a chair, and a lipstick and foundation stick were on a sofa close to a stocking cap for use under a wig.

In the spare bedroom there were 26 pairs of women’s shoes in Mr Williams’s size six to six and a half as well as make-up. Ms Sebire said there was £20,000 of female clothing and much of it had been unworn.

Earlier, the last known movements of Mr Williams were shown as he shopped in Knightsbridge. The court heard there was no evidence he was being followed. The case continues.

Scottish Daily Record : Spy found dead in holdall was unhappy and had asked to leave MI6, inquest hears

Spy found dead in holdall was unhappy and had asked to leave MI6, inquest hears

April 24, 2012

AN MI6 spy who was found dead in a holdall in his flat was unhappy at work and was about to quit, an inquest heard yesterday.

Gareth Williams had complained of “friction” with other spooks.

And he hated “office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race”.

The body of codebreaker Williams, 31, was found in a locked bag in the bath of his London flat in August 2010.

Police think he had been dead for about a week.

The inquest into his death heard he had been on a three-year secondment to MI6 from communications surveillance agency GCHQ in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

But he was so unhappy, he had cut short the secondment and had been due to leave days after his body was found.

Williams’s family believe secret service agents may have been involved in his death.

His sister Ceri Subbe told the hearing the job at MI6 was “not quite what he had expected”.

She added: “There was a lot more red tape than he was comfortable with.”

Ms Subbe said her brother had packed his bags and had spent an increasing number of weekends at his parents’ house in Anglesey, Wales.

But MI6 had “dragged their feet” in approving his request to leave.

The inquest in London continues.

UKPA : Spy's mother quits inquest

Spy's mother quits inquest

April 24, 2012

The mother of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, found dead in his central London flat, walked out on inquest proceedings amid family distress at delays in evidence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The inquest has heard Mr Williams had been unhappy living in London and complained about "friction" at the intelligence agency.

He hated the post-work drinking culture and "flash car competitions" at the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), his sister Ceri Subbe said.

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

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Wales Online : Spy's mother walks out of inquest

Spy's mother walks out of inquest

April 24, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Independent : Family see graphic footage of Gareth Williams’ death scene as 'mystery DNA' is found on bag containing body

Family see graphic footage of Gareth Williams’ death scene as 'mystery DNA' is found on bag containing body

Kim Sengupta | April 24, 2012

Video footage of Gareth Williams’ death scene was shown in a court today, unseen by members of his family who could not bear to view the footage which included shots of a bag with the body of Gareth Williams still inside.

Examination of the red North Face sports holdall also showed traces of the DNA of another person in the zip toggle and the padlock, the inquest into the computer specialist’s death was told. Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who led the murder inquiry said “They were two minor components of another contributor's DNA. My thought or my opinion since I went into the scene is that a third party had been involved in the death or by putting the body in the bag.”

A graphic impression showed the way 34 year old Mr Williams was found inside the bag - in a foetal position lying on his back, naked, with his knees raised and arms folded across his chest. The key to the padlock was under his right buttock, making in “incredibly difficult” for him to have reached it in an attempt, somehow, to escape. In any event, said DCI Sebire, “there were no signs that he was trying to get out, no damage to his fingernails or hands, no tear in the lining inside the bag. He was very muscular, he trained regularly. I would at least expect some tearing to the netting. He was very calm, his face was very calm.”

An examination of the holdall in court showed that it would have been seemingly impossible for Mr Williams to have locked himself into the bag and then moved it into a bathtub where it was found, the coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, pointed out. Yet, apart from the speck of DNA on the bag, detectives had been perplexed by any sign of the presence of a ‘third party’ anywhere else in the MI6 officer’s home in Pimlico, south west London.

The police had found no evidence that attempts had been made to wipe out incriminating evidence. "There was no sign of the place being cleaned so there were no signs of bleach to destroy it” said DCI Sabire. "There was no evidence the bag itself had been cleaned or washed down or the lock or handles had been cleaned to remove traces of DNA evidence."

What the police did find in the flat was £20,000 worth of designer clothes for women all "immaculate" and "in pristine condition" and many in tissue paper; make-up items including nail varnish and eye shadow that were "all new" and apparently unused; wigs wrapped in net packaging, which "appear to be unused", including one Mr Williams had bought on his recent trip to the US and 26 pairs of boot and shoes most bearing designer labels such as Christian Louboutin, Stella McCartney, Christian Dior and Chloe, some which appear to have been worn.

The video footage, taken on the evening of 23rd August 2010, when Mr Williams’ body was discovered, revealed no sign of a break-in at his home, with cash left in a cupboard and a mobile phone on the living room table. The place was in a pristime condition apart from the bedroom where a blue toweling dressing gown, which had shown traces of Mr Williams’ semen, the inquest was told, and a duvet cover had been flung on the floor. The wardrobe door was open and a white shirt, still in its laundry wrapping.

Giving evidence later, Sian Jones, who described herself as a “close friend” of Mr Williams, denied that he was a transvestite. “We talked about all kinds of things, personal matters. I feel he would have been able to confide in me, I wouldn’t have been judgmental” she said.

The inquest continues

Time (blog) : Gareth Williams Inquest: Who Put a British Spy in a Bag?

Gareth Williams Inquest: Who Put a British Spy in a Bag?

By William Lee Adams | April 24, 2012

On Aug. 16, 2010, British spy Gareth Williams failed to attend a meeting at MI-6, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service. On Aug. 23, his family notified police that they last heard from the 31-year-old—a math prodigy who had finished university at the age of 17, and gone on to become a codebreaker for MI-6—10 days earlier. When a police officer entered Williams’ apartment later that day, he noticed four items on the table: a cell phone, two SIM cards, and a woman’s wig. In the bathroom, he saw a red duffel bag in the tub with a padlock connecting the zippers.

“I am realizing it is something serious and my concern was to not damage anything in a crime scene,” police officer John Gallagher told the inquest into Williams’ death Monday afternoon. When he lifted the bag, red fluid began oozing out. “Then there was the smell. Probably as a result of moving the bag. It is unusual because normally you would expect to smell it earlier,” he said. Williams’ naked and decomposing body was locked inside.

In the 21 months that have passed since Williams’ death, detectives have drawn a blank—and left his grieving family to wonder what exactly happened. At the start of the inquiry on Monday, coroner Fiona Wilcox, who is overseeing the proceedings, promised a “full, fair and fearless” inquiry. Around 40 witnesses will give evidence over the next week, including Williams’ friends, police and intelligence officers, and forensics experts. They will, no doubt, explore the family’s suggestion that a third party was involved in Williams’ death—and that someone organized a cover-up. Their lawyer has previously stated that the lack of fingerprints and DNA at the crime scene suggests agents schooled in “the dark arts of the secret services” played a role.

Williams had told his family about his line of work, but he never elaborated on the details of any specific cases. He did, however, give them insights into working at MI-6, where he was completing a three-year secondment at the time of his death. “He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race,” his sister Ceri Subbe told the court. He also spoke of “friction” in the office and had requested to return to his previous post at GCHQ, the government listening agency that cracks codes and identifies potential cyber attacks, among other things. Subbe says Williams was desperate to leave London for Cheltenham, where GCHQ is based. He was “a country boy and the city life did not quite suit him.”

Despite the family’s close relationship, Subbe did not know her brother owned around £20,000 ($32,000) worth of designer women’s clothing. He had a deep interest in fashion and had attended two six-week fashion courses, Subbe said. She added that the expensive clothes were likely gifts intended for other people, or merely reflected his interest in fashion. Detectives also found tickets to a drag cabaret show inside the apartment.

The inquiry will also probe whether Williams could have locked himself in the bag as part of a sadomasochistic sex ritual. Forensics experts have suggested that such a feat would be difficult, if not impossible. As such, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is overseeing the police investigation, has previously said it is likely someone helped him into that bag. “If he was alive, he got into it voluntarily or, if not, he was unconscious and placed in the bag,” she said in 2010. Police know that Williams had visited bondage websites in the months leading up to his death, as well as websites that gave instructions on how to tie people up.

Subbe doubts that Williams would have let anyone inside his apartment who had not been cleared by security services first. “He was very strict about only allowing people who had been vetted to visit his flat,” she said. “I cannot emphasize enough his conscientiousness.” Given that he was “the most scrupulous risk-assessor” she knew, it’s difficult for her to accept that he would put himself—or allow someone else to put him—inside a duffel bag.

But Williams had withheld information from his family before. On April 22, it emerged that Williams had confided in a friend that he feared he was the target of hostile surveillance. The Sunday Times (of London) reported that Williams told Elizabeth Gutherie—the daughter of a New York stockbroker—about his concerns. She’ll give evidence later this week.

New information will be welcome news for Subbe and her family. In recent weeks, they have grown increasingly frustrated over what they perceive as a botched investigation. Last month, the family learned that forensic teams had mistakenly marked DNA on Williams’ hand in 2010. They only recently realized it belonged to a scientist who had visited the crime scene. And the police’s desire to speak with a couple spotted in Williams’ building a month before his death proved irrelevant: they were merely acquaintances of Williams’ neighbors.

The only certainty for Subbe is that she still has more questions than answers. Rightly or wrongly, every detail now hints at something sinister. Police removed the front door to Williams’ apartment despite there not being any sign of a break-in. MI-6 has not revealed what case he was working on at the time of his death, supposedly in the interest of national security. And his colleagues—secret service officers with sharp, detail-oriented minds—didn’t realize he was missing for more than a week. “I cannot think as to why anybody would want to harm him,” Subbe said Monday.

The inquest continues.

The Australian : British spy 'found in bag in bath'

British spy 'found in bag in bath'

AFP | April 24, 2012

A POLICEMAN has described how he found the decomposing body of a British spy in a padlocked bag in a bathtub at the intelligence officer's London flat.

The details of the grim discovery were revealed as the inquest resumed into the mysterious death two years ago of Gareth Williams, 31, who was working for Britain's MI6 external intelligence service.

His family believe secret agents versed in the "dark arts" tried to cover up his death, but Scotland Yard detectives have found no evidence that anyone else had been with Williams in his flat at the time of his death.

As the dead man's parents and sister watched in silence in the courtroom, John Gallagher said he was called to Williams' flat on August 23, 2010, because of concerns over his welfare after he had not been seen for over a week.

He said that in an en suite bathroom he noticed a "particular smell" and a red North Face holdall in the bath.

"I looked at the bag - I noticed a bulge. I noticed there was a padlock. Two of the zips were joined together," he said.

"I lifted the bag, possibly only six or seven inches - it was quite heavy. That's when I noticed some red fluid. It was in the bath, like it had been seeping out of the bag."

Police also found a "lady's wig" hanging on a chair and a mobile phone laid out on the dining table of the flat along with two SIM cards, while the lights were on although it was daytime.

They confirmed the naked body in the bag was that of Williams and realised within hours that he was an MI6 agent, resulting in the rapid involvement of counter-terror police.

But the five-day inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court, at which almost 40 witnesses will give evidence, will be shown a video of a practical demonstration of how Williams could have got into the bag and locked it by himself.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox said the demonstration was "at the very heart of this inquiry," given that one suggestion is Williams had got into the bag as part of a sadomasochistic sex ritual.

But it will not be performed live in court "to prevent proceedings becoming ridiculous," she said.

Earlier, Williams' sister described how he had been seconded to MI6 from GCHQ, Britain's electronic "listening post" which monitors communications for intelligence purposes, based in Cheltenham, western England.

Ceri Subbe said her brother had experienced some "friction in the office" and had asked to cut the secondment short - returning to Cheltenham after one year instead of three. He had also just completed a work trip to the United States.

Although he never discussed details of his work, he had said the MI6 job "was not quite what he expected." He was a "country boy" who had quickly tired of the London "rat race," she told the inquest.

But the family were not concerned about his state of mind at the time of his death, finding him "upbeat" in their final conversation.

Despite media reports that Williams told friends he was being followed, Subbe said her brother had never mentioned such concerns to her.

He was "scrupulous" in assessing risk and let very few people into his flat, she said.

Subbe was unaware that her brother had an extensive wardrobe of female clothing in his flat and speculated it could possibly be "a gift ... or collectibles."

The coroner said the clothing had an approximate value of $32,200.

Williams, who came from Wales and is thought to have been a mathematics genius, started university at age 16 and went on to earn a doctorate, his sister said.

A lawyer for the Williams family, Anthony O'Toole, said at a pre-inquest review hearing last month that they believe someone else was either present when he died, or broke into his home afterwards to destroy evidence.

"The impression of the family is that the unknown third party was a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services - or evidence has been removed post-mortem by experts in the dark arts," he said.

Four intelligence agents are to testify at the inquest, which police said could lead to criminal proceedings, but they will be identified only by letters of the alphabet and speak from behind screens.

AFP

ABC (Australia) : 'Spy in bag' inquest hears of grim find

'Spy in bag' inquest hears of grim find

By Lisa Millar in London, wires | April 24, 2012

A British spy found dead in his flat almost two years ago was unhappy at work and had asked to leave MI6, an inquest into his death has been told.

In a case that baffled police, Gareth Williams's body was found in a zipped and locked sports bag in his London flat in 2010.

Police found no signs anyone else had been there but located women's clothing, shoes and a wig.

The 31-year-old's family believe someone skilled in the intelligence services may have been involved.

The coroner has described the case as highly controversial and has offered anonymity to several intelligence officers giving evidence.

One policeman, John Gallagher, told the courtroom how he found the decomposing body of Mr Williams in a padlocked bag in a bathtub.

Mr Gallagher said he was called to Mr Williams's flat on August 23, 2010 because of concerns over his welfare after he had not been seen for more than a week.

He said in an ensuite bathroom he noticed a "particular smell" and a red North Face bag in the bath.

"I looked at the bag - I noticed a bulge. I noticed there was a padlock. Two of the zips were joined together," he said.

"I lifted the bag, possibly only six or seven inches - it was quite heavy.

"That's when I noticed some red fluid.

"It was in the bath, like it had been seeping out of the bag."

Police also found a "lady's wig" hanging on a chair and a mobile phone laid out on the dining table of the flat along with two SIM cards, while the lights were on although it was daytime.

They confirmed the naked body in the bag was that of Mr Williams and realised within hours that he was an MI6 agent, resulting in the rapid involvement of counter-terror police.

The five-day inquest at Westminster Coroners Court, at which almost 40 witnesses will give evidence, will be shown a video of a practical demonstration of how Mr Williams could have got into the bag and locked it by himself.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox said the demonstration was "at the very heart of this inquiry", given one suggestion is Mr Williams had got into the bag as part of a sadomasochistic sex ritual.

But it will not be performed live in court "to prevent proceedings becoming ridiculous", she said.

'Office friction'

Earlier in the hearing, Mr Williams's sister described how he had been seconded to MI6 from GCHQ, Britain's electronic "listening post" which monitors communications for intelligence purposes, based in Cheltenham, western England.

Ceri Subbe said her brother had experienced some "friction in the office" and had asked to cut the secondment short - returning to Cheltenham after one year instead of three.

He had also just completed a work trip to the United States.

She said her brother had been unhappy at the spy agency and disliked post-work drinks and the rat race.

But the family were not overly concerned about his state of mind at the time of his death, finding him "upbeat" in their final conversation.

Despite media reports that Mr Williams told friends he was being followed, Ms Subbe said her brother had never mentioned such concerns to her.

He was "scrupulous" in assessing risk and let very few people into his flat, she said.

Genius

Ms Subbe was unaware that her brother had an extensive wardrobe of female clothing in his flat and speculated it could possibly be "a gift ... or collectibles".

Mr Williams, who came from Wales and is thought to have been a mathematics genius, started university at age 16 and went on to earn a doctorate, his sister said.

A lawyer for the Williams family, Anthony O'Toole, said at a pre-inquest review hearing last month that they believe someone else was either present when he died or broke into his home afterwards to destroy evidence.

"The impression of the family is that the unknown third party was a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services - or evidence has been removed post-mortem by experts in the dark arts," he said.

Four intelligence agents are to testify at the inquest, but they will be identified only by letters of the alphabet and speak from behind screens.

Police say the inquest could lead to criminal proceedings.

ABC/AFP

Daily Star : SIS: SPY-IN-THE-BAG HATED LONDON AND FLASHY MI6 SPOOKS

SIS: SPY-IN-THE-BAG HATED LONDON AND FLASHY MI6 SPOOKS

Marc Walker | April 24, 2012

BAG death spy Gareth Williams complained of “friction” at MI6 before his death, a court heard.

The codebreaker, 31, hated the London “rat race” and his colleagues’ “flash car competitions”, his sister said.

Ceri Subbe, 29, also said he was careful about letting people into the safe house, where his corpse was found in a padlocked holdall.

But she said she was “not aware” of £20,000-worth of women’s designer clothes her brother kept at the flat in Pimlico, central London.

She said the garments may have been presents for herself or his old school pal, Sian Lloyd-Jones, 34.

Ceri told the inquest, at Westminster Coroners’ Court, that Gareth loathed London and was just a week away from returning to his previous job at the Government’s GCHQ listening post in Cheltenham, Glos.

She said in a statement: “He disliked the London office culture, the post-work drinks, the flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office.”

But she added: “He was hugely professional in his approach and never spoke about his work.

“I have never known anyone to be let into his flat in Cheltenham or London who had not been vetted by his work.”

Gareth, of Anglesey, had been a cycling enthusiast and was also interested in fashion.

Ceri described him as a “perfect” big brother and a “remarkable man”.

It was only when she had not heard from him for 10 days that she alerted police and Gareth’s body was found.

He was inside a red North Face bag in the bathtub, but his body was so decomposed it was impossible to know the cause of death.

Det Chief Supt Hamish Campbell said MI6 agents did not enter the flat after the body was found.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox has said some information would be withheld on the grounds of “national security”.

She said Gareth’s family still believed “dark arts” secret agents were responsible for his death.

The hearing continues.

marc.walker@dailystar.co.uk

Express : SPY FOUND DEAD IN SPORT BAG ‘ASKED TO QUIT AFTER CLASHES WITH MI6 CHIEFS’

SPY FOUND DEAD IN SPORT BAG ‘ASKED TO QUIT AFTER CLASHES WITH MI6 CHIEFS’

Gareth Williams was unhappy working on secondment with the intelligence service MI6, it was said.

By Cyril Dixon | April 24, 2012

A SECRET service officer whose naked body was found locked in a sports bag had asked to quit his job after complaining of “friction”, an inquest heard yesterday.

Code-cracker Gareth Williams was unhappy working on secondment with the intelligence service MI6, it was said.

The 31-year-old mathematics genius had asked to return to his old job at GCHQ, the intelligence-gathering base.

Mr Williams’ tearful sister told the inquiry how the keen cyclist and runner had wanted to leave the capital.

Ceri Subbe said: “He disliked the London office culture, the post-work drinks, the flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office.”

She went on: “Initially I gained the impression that Gareth was enjoying life in London.

“But as time went by, I began to feel he missed the countryside and he longed to ride his bike in the open air without the smog and the constant fear of being run over by a bendy bus.”

Mrs Subbe added: “He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with.

“More than anything, it was so he could get back to the countryside, where he could ride his bike.”

Mrs Subbe said her brother asked in April 2010 to return immediately to GCHQ in Cheltenham, Gloucs, but spy chiefs were ”dragging their feet” over the request.

They had not dealt with it by August 23, when his decomposing body was found in a red North Face holdall, placed in his bath, its zips secured by a padlock.

Police had gained access to the flat in Pimlico, central London, after Mr Williams failed to turn up for a meeting.

Mrs Subbe said she discussed the absence with one of his colleagues, and added: “He is very conscientious.

“The person I spoke to agreed, and said Gareth was like a Swiss clock – very punctual, very efficient, and it was very unlike him not to attend a meeting.”

Attending the inquest with their parents Ian and Ellen Williams, Mrs Subbe gave most of her evidence in a written statement, but also answered questions from Westminster coroner Fiona Wilcox.

Paying tribute to her sibling, she said: “In terms of a big brother figure, Gareth was perfect.”

She was not surprised he had £20,000 worth of womens’ clothes in his flat, adding that they could have been gifts or just a collection of “high value” goods.

Her brother, she said, was an “exceptional” academic who passed O-levels aged 10, A-levels a few years later, and studied at Bangor University aged just 16.

Mr Williams had never spoken to her about being threatened or followed, and she added: “I cannot think why anybody would want to harm him.”

She said he would never let a potential killer into his government-owned flat, adding that he was the “most scrupulous risk-assessor” she had ever known.

PC John Gallagher, who found the body, told the inquest of the eerie scene inside the flat after he was let in by the managing agency.

He said he was send to look for the missing occupant, but his attention was caught by a woman’s wig hung on a chair.

There were some yellow sports holdalls in the bedroom, and the duvet cover was half off the bed, trailing on the floor.

There was also a neatly folded pile of clothing on the bed and a bathrobe on the floor. He eventually walked into the flat’s bathroom, where he noticed the bulging red holdall in the bath with the zips padlocked together.

Family members want to know why the alarm had not been raised earlier.

By the time officers arrived at his flat, Mr Williams’s body was so decomposed that evidence had been lost.

Dr Wilcox has indicated she may want to see a practical demonstration of how Mr Williams could have got into the bag and manage to lock it himself.

The inquest continues today.

Windsor Star : Details emerge about life of murdered MI6 spy

Details emerge about life of murdered MI6 spy

The Daily Telegraph | April 24, 2012

The British spy found dead in a padlocked sports bag in his London apartment hated the "flash car and drinking" culture of MI6 and complained of "friction" at work, his family told an inquest Monday.

Gareth Williams, 31, told his sister, Ceri Subbe, he wanted to leave London because he did not like the "rat race" lifestyle and was unhappy working for the security services. He had applied to cut short his three-year secondment to MI6 and return to Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham but felt his superiors were "dragging their feet," Subbe told the hearing.

A date for his return was finally fixed for September 2010. His body was discovered in his Pimlico flat a week before he was due to return.

The long-awaited inquest was opened at Westminster Coroner's Court Monday to investigate the "highly controversial" death of Williams.

Dr. Fiona Wilcox, the coroner, has promised a "full, fair and fearless" inquiry in which no evidence will be heard behind closed doors. Up to 40 witnesses are due to give evidence at the hearing, including intelligence officers, police, forensic experts and friends.

The family believes that a third party was involved in Williams's death. Their lawyer has previously suggested experts in the "dark arts of the secret services."

The naked and decomposing body of the math prodigy, who was a cipher and codes expert, was discovered in a sports bag that had been locked from the outside and placed in the bath at his Pimlico flat in August 2010.

Police attended the flat after being alerted by his family, who were concerned that they had not heard from him for more than a week. The discovery led to worldwide speculation and conspiracy theories over how he died.

Lawyers for Scotland Yard said there was still a "real possibility" that criminal proceedings could be brought in connection with the death.

The first witness on the stand yesterday was Subbe, who said her brother had grown increasingly frustrated with his city life and wanted to leave.

Williams joined MI6 on a three-year secondment from GCHQ in 2009 but by March the following year his "enthusiasm had begun to fade," Subbe said.

In a statement, she told the hearing: "He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office."

In her oral evidence, she added that her brother, a keen cyclist, was a "country boy, and the city life did not quite suit him."

In an emotional statement, Subbe told the inquest that her brother had a wide range of hobbies including fell running, cycling, art and fashion.

Subbe was unaware of other aspects of her brother's life, however. He did not tell her that he had completed two sixweek fashion courses at St. Martin's College in London or that he had amassed more than $32,000 worth of female clothing at his flat.

Asked if she was surprised, she said: "I am not surprised. He was very generous with gifts."

Subbe suggested that he may have simply been collecting the clothing due to his interest in fashion and his desire to buy high-quality items. The hearing was told that the last time Subbe had spoken to her brother was on Aug 13, when he mentioned that he was planning to visit a comedy club with a friend where a transvestite performer was appearing.

Subbe described her brother as "the most scrupulous riskassessor" she had ever known.

She said he would never have let anyone into his flat who had not been security cleared.

Const. John Gallagher found Williams's body after being asked to make a check at an address in Alderney Street. He was let in by a member of staff from an estate agent that managed the rented property and found a pile of unopened mail, but otherwise the flat was tidy. In the bedroom, the duvet was half on the floor and there was a pile of neatly folded clothes on the bed.

In the living room he noticed a mobile phone on the dining room, with a woman's wig hanging on a chair. The lights were on despite it being 5 p.m. on a summer evening.

Gallagher told the hearing that when he entered the en suite bathroom he noticed a smell that he associated with dead bodies and saw a red North Face bag in the bath. "I lifted the bag up around six or seven inches," he said. "It was quite heavy and that is when I noticed a red fluid seeping out of the bag." After making a small incision in the bag, Gallagher said it was apparent it contained a decomposing body.

Four intelligence officers will be allowed to give evidence from behind a screen in the coming days after Dr. Wilcox granted an application to keep their identity a secret. The request came from MI6 and GCHQ, backed by William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, amid concerns over a risk to national security.

The coroner will also allow some aspects of the evidence to remain secret, including any information from foreign intelligence agencies, ongoing operations or details of secret service officers, methods and tactics.

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Irish Times : MI6 man complained of 'friction in office', inquest told

MI6 man complained of 'friction in office', inquest told

April 24, 2012

LONDON – The sister of a British MI6 agent whose lifeless body was found padlocked inside a sports bag said he had complained of office tensions and of London’s “rat race” shortly before he met his macabre death.

The naked decomposing corpse of Gareth Williams (31) was found inside a red bag in a bath at his flat, near the headquarters of Britain’s external intelligence service MI6, in central London on August 25th, 2010.

Women’s dresses and shoes worth around £20,000 ($24,000) were also found at the flat, creating another mystery in an already complex case. They had never been worn.

“He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race,” his sister, Ceri Subbe, told an inquest trying to establish how Mr Williams died.

“He even spoke of friction in the office,” she added, clearly distraught. A lawyer for the dead man’s family said last month that “a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services” might be responsible for his murder, fuelling speculation that he was killed by foreign spies and that MI6 might have covered it up.

At the time of his death, Mr Williams was on a three-year secondment to MI6, which deals with foreign espionage matters and is headquartered at a large, modern, imposing building on the banks of the Thames.

But Ms Subbe said her brother had wanted to return to his old post as a code breaker at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the state eavesdropping service which is based in Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.

He had wanted to escape London for the countryside and return to a quieter pace of life, she said. “His enthusiasm had begun to fade,” she said. “I think the job wasn’t quite what he had expected.”

She told the inquest that in April 2010 Mr Williams had sought to end his secondment to MI6. He had been due to return to Cheltenham just days after his body was found.

Bizarrely, there were no signs his flat had been broken into or indications of foul play, even though detectives do not believe he could have got into the bag by himself. Toxicology tests found no traces of alcohol, drugs or poison in his body.

A keen cyclist and hill-runner, who gained a university first-class degree in mathematics at the age of just 17, Mr Williams was single and intensely private.

Ms Subbe, who was in regular contact with her brother, told the coroner that despite his worries about work, he had been “very upbeat” and had not given any indication that he had been threatened or followed before his death.

She said he would not have let anyone into his flat who had not been vetted, nor give his keys to anyone apart from close family.

Nor, she said, would he have taken unnecessary risks, an apparent reference to suggestions that his death was an accident. “Gareth was the most scrupulous risk assessor I have known,” she said.

His body was not discovered until his family reported him missing, up to 12 days after he was last seen, raising questions about his employer’s apparent lack of concern.

Det Chief Supt Hamish Campbell, the officer in charge of the case, told the inquest that MI6 had been very co-operative.

He was unaware that the spy agency had carried out its own investigation, he added.

Police said their inquiry was continuing and that charges were possible. “It’s not a straightforward inquiry and it may at some stage result in criminal proceedings,” Vincent Williams, a lawyer for London police, said.

The inquest is due to hear from 37 witnesses, including four unnamed members of the intelligence services. Three will give evidence from behind screens to protect their identity from the inquest, which, in keeping with the nature of the mysterious case, is accessed from a small entrance guarded by security men, next to a sign saying the building is a health clinic. – (Reuters)

Belfast Telegraph : Dead MI6 spy's sister casts new doubt on official account of his death

Dead MI6 spy's sister casts new doubt on official account of his death

No alarm was raised over disappearance despite missed meeting, says Williams’ sister

Kim Sengupta | April 24, 2012

Gareth Williams, the MI6 officer who was found dead in a padlocked holdall in his bath, was so unhappy about "friction" at work and the "rat race" that he had asked for a transfer back to his previous post, his family has disclosed.

The 31-year-old cipher specialist died a week before he had been due to return to work at GCHQ, the government listening post.

"He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race," his sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest into his death yesterday. "He even spoke of friction in the office. The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with."

Mr Williams's family believes that he may have been executed by secret agents specialising in the "dark arts", with a cover-up subsequently organised to ensure the that his killers did not face justice.

Yesterday Ms Subbe insisted it was inconceivable that her brother would have voluntarily allowed anyone who had not been cleared by the security agencies into his home in Pimlico, south-west London. "He was very strict about only allowing people who had been vetted to visit his flat. I cannot emphasise enough his conscientiousness," she stressed.

"Gareth did not tell us what specifically he did as a job. Of course we knew where he worked, but he didn't speak about it in any detail."

On 23 August 2010, Mr Williams's family contacted MI6 after not having heard from him for over a week.

On 16 August, he had failed to turn up to chair a meeting at MI6 and was not seen subsequently until the discovery of his naked and decomposing remains. Ms Subbe said she had later spoken to an officer from MI6 who told her that her brother was extremely punctual "and it was highly unlikely for him to miss a meeting like that". Yet no alarm was raised by MI6 over an operative suddenly going missing.

The coroner, Fiona Wilcox, acknowledged that Mr Williams's death was "highly controversial" and has led to a "great deal of anxiety". Agents from MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service) and GCHQ will be giving their evidence from behind a screen. There would be "a real risk of harm to national security and international relations" if some of those giving evidence were identified, she said.

The inquest heard Mr Williams was a prodigy who took his O-levels aged 10 and began a degree course at Bangor University aged 16. Ms Subbe told the court that her brother "adored music, theatre and the arts, and fashion" and had undertaken two six-week design courses at Central St Martin's in London.

Officers from GCHQ and MI6 had held that Gareth Williams organised his own accommodation privately in the house at Alderney Street, Pimlico, as Anthony O'Toole QC, speaking for his family, pointed out. But there was evidence, he claimed, that it was a "safe house" used by the intelligence service. The inquest heard a statement from Vanessa Scott, who worked for an estate agency, W A Ellis, saying: "The Secretary of State had taken a contract on the property in 2003 and the tenancy would be continued."

The Scotland Yard homicide team carrying out the investigation into Mr Williams's death was not able to talk directly to members of MI6 and GCHQ, the inquest was told. Instead they had to give their questions to SO15, the Metropolitan Police's Counter-Terrorism Command, which carried out the interviews on their behalf.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, from the Yard's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, stressed that the agencies co-operated fully with Scotland Yard, adding he was not aware of MI5, MI6 or SO15 carrying out their own independent investigations into Mr Williams's death. Asked by Dr Wilcox whether she was surprised that women's clothes worth £20,000 had been found at her brother's place, Ms Subbe said they were "possibly a gift", as her brother had been generous.

She had not, however, been given any clothes herself and did not know of anyone else who had received any items.

PC John Gallagher, who found Mr Williams's body, said his attention was caught on entering the flat by a woman's wig hanging on a chair as well as a mobile phone and two SIM cards on a table.

On going into the bathroom he noticed a bulging red holdall in the bath with the zip padlocked together. "I am realising it is something serious and my concern was to not damage anything in a crime scene." He lifted the bag up, when he could see red fluid seeping out. "Then there was the smell," he said. "Probably as a result of moving the bag. It is unusual because normally you would expect to smell it earlier," he said.

The inquest continues.

---

Williams's death: Timeline

11 August 2010 Mr Williams returns to Britain from a fly-drive holiday to the West coast of the United States.

15 August He is captured on CCTV in London's Knightsbridge after shopping at Harrods.

16 August He fails to turn up at MI6 to chair a meeting. No alarm is raised.

23 August Mr Williams's family alerts the police after not hearing from him for a week. His body is discovered padlocked inside a holdall in a bath in his top-floor flat at 36 Alderney Street in Pimlico.

1 September Westminster Coroner's Court hears a post-mortem examination has failed to establish the cause of death.

30 March 2012 A pre-inquest review hears that Mr Williams's family suspects an agent specialising in the "dark arts" may have covered up his death.

Scotsman : ‘Flash car contests’ and drinking culture at MI6, inquest told

‘Flash car contests’ and drinking culture at MI6, inquest told

April 24, 2012

AN MI6 codebreaker found dead in a sports bag had been unhappy living in London and complained about “friction” at the intelligence agency, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Williams, 31, hated the post-work drinking culture and “flash car competitions” at the Secret Intelligence Service, his sister said.

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

The inquest into Mr Williams’s death began yesterday with evidence that Scotland Yard murder detectives were not able to speak to his MI6 colleagues directly.

Instead, specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police’s SO15 counter-terrorism command had to carry out the interviews and produce anonymous statements.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell said police were not shown any internal inquiry by MI6 into what happened to the brilliant codebreaker.

The spy’s sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest her brother was excited when he began what was supposed to be a three-year secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, the government listening station at Cheltenham. But he missed the countryside and became disillusioned with the atmosphere at MI6’s Vauxhall Cross headquarters in London.

“He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office,” Mrs Subbe said. “The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with.”

In April 2010 Mr Williams applied to return to GCHQ earlier than planned. MI6 “dragged their feet” in approving his request but eventually agreed.

Mr Williams, of Anglesey, north Wales, failed to turn up for a meeting at MI6 on 16 August, 2010, the inquest heard.

Mrs Subbe said she discussed her brother’s absence with one of his colleagues. “He is very conscientious,” she said. “The person I spoke to agreed, and said Gareth was like a Swiss clock – very punctual, very efficient, and it was very unlike him not to attend a meeting.”

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

Mrs Subbe was asked about £20,000 of women’s clothes found in her brother’s flat after his death, but said it was “not particularly” surprising and suggested they could have been a gift. She told the inquest she did not believe Mr Williams would let a potential killer in his flat, adding: “I cannot emphasise enough his conscientiousness”.

Four intelligence agents will give evidence to the inquest anonymously after coroner Fiona Wilcox said there was a real risk of harm to national security and international relations if they were exposed.

Mr Williams was a mathematics prodigy who passed his O-levels aged ten, his A-levels a few years later, and studied at Bangor University when he was 16. He was a keen fell runner and mountaineer.

His sister said he was “the most scrupulous risk-assessor” she had known.

She said he would turn back a few hundred yards from the summit of mountains if there was the hint of adverse weather conditions.

Mrs Subbe said her brother never told her he was being followed or felt threatened in any way, adding: “I cannot think as to why anybody would want to harm him.”

Family members want to know why the alarm was not raised when Mr Williams initially failed to turn up to work.

By the time officers arrived at his flat, his body was so decomposed that evidence had been lost. Dr Wilcox has indicated she may want to see a practical demonstration of how Mr Williams might have got into the bag and locked it himself.

The inquest continues.

Daily Mail : Lady's orange wig, lipstick and 'five regrets of the dying' newspaper cutting found alongside body of spy in the bag, and SOMEONE ELSE locked him inside

Lady's orange wig, lipstick and 'five regrets of the dying' newspaper cutting found alongside body of spy in the bag, and SOMEONE ELSE locked him inside

* Fragments of mystery DNA were found on bag holding body but were inconclusive and did not lead detectives anywhere, inquest hears
* Footage of Gareth Williams' body padlocked in a sports holdall in the bath
* Police release pictures of Mr Williams' flat as they found it
* Mr Williams' fingerprints were found in the flat, none were dusted on the bath's edge
* Court shown CCTV of his final days when he went shopping at Harrods

By Matt Blake and Chris Greenwood | April 24, 2012

DNA from a mystery third party was found on the padlocked bag in which the body of MI6 spy Gareth Williams was discovered, police said yesterday.

A Scotland Yard officer revealed that fragments of unidentifiable DNA were found on the zip toggle and small brass travel padlock alongside traces of the code-breaker’s blood.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire said it showed that a third party must have padlocked Mr Williams, 31, in the bag and put it in the bath.

But she added that the riddle of how he died remains unsolved despite an exhaustive 21-month investigation.

Under questioning from a barrister representing his family, she admitted there was a surprising lack of forensic evidence in his flat. Anthony O’Toole said: ‘There is not one single scientific item in the flat that could lead to the identification of a third party, is there?’

Mrs Sebire replied: ‘I would not put it as strongly as that. There are unidentified components on the toggle.

‘There is further work to be done. I would not say forensic processing is at an end, although we have done the vast majority.

‘I have always been open-minded but it is my opinion that a third party was involved in that padlock being locked and Gareth being placed in the bath.’

The exchange took place during a dramatic second day of evidence at the inquest into the death of the intelligence service agent in August 2010.

His parents Ian and Ellen, from Anglesey, North Wales, walked out as a disturbing video of the interior of his immaculate flat in Pimlico, Central London, was screened.

It showed how his naked and decomposing body was found curled in a foetal position in a large red North Face holdall in the plain white bathroom.

Mr Williams was uninjured, the heavy duty bag was undamaged and his body position appeared 'calm' with his legs pulled up and arms folded over his chest.

Mrs Sebire told Westminster Coroner’s Court that if Mr Williams had got in the bag voluntarily she would have expected to find his fingerprints on the tiles. She would also have expected to find the fingerprints of whoever hoisted the bag into the bath.

But she added that there was no sign that the flat or the bag had been cleaned to destroy forensic evidence.

Asked if Mr Williams had tried to escape, Mrs Sebire said: ‘He was very muscular, he trained regularly. It is only my opinion but I would at least expect some tearing to the netting inside.’

There was no sign of a break-in at the two-storey flat, cash was left in a cupboard, a mobile phone on the living room table and a laptop on the floor.

Mrs Sebire said there was little mess, with books, CDs and clothes stacked neatly, although a dressing gown and quilt were discarded on the floor near the bathroom. ‘I found this difficult to explain because of his general tidiness,’ she said.

The inquest heard how a £20,000 collection of women’s clothing, including 26 pairs of shoes, some worth up to £1,000, were discovered in the flat. They included labels such as Christian Louboutin, Stella McCartney, Christian Dior and Chloe as well as wigs wrapped in net packaging which appeared unused.

Most of the items were boxed or wrapped in tissue paper and the only used items appeared to be four pairs of the size 6 and 6.5 shoes – Mr Williams’s size. A blonde and red woman’s party wig was left hanging from a chair. Lipstick, foundation and make-up were also found.

Mr Williams had kept a cutting from The Observer newspaper headlined ‘top five regrets of the dying’. The regrets detailed in the article – published on the last day he was seen alive – included failing ‘to live a life true to myself’.

Sian Jones, Mr Williams’s closest friend since they went to primary school, said she did not believe he was a transvestite. ‘I feel like he would have been able to confide in me... and I would not have judged him,’ she added.

She was asked if the spy was in love with her. Miss Jones said Mr Williams was very ‘fond’ of her and showered her with gifts of expensive clothes but they remained ‘just friends’.

The professional stylist said he had confided in her that he was unhappy in London and found it lonely because the MI6 office culture was ‘very cliquey’.

On Monday the inquest heard that Mr Williams, a keen cyclist, had applied to end his secondment to MI6 early and return to the GCHQ listening station in Cheltenham, where he was a code-breaker.

The maths genius had been on secondment to SIS from GCHQ where he had worked since 2001.

But despite being available for operational deployment five months before his bizarre death he was desperate to leave London and had been due to return to Cheltenham a week after his body was found.

The newspaper cutting found near Gareth Williams' body was taken from an article printed in the Observer.

It was based on a book by a Australian palliative nurse Bronnie Ware who recorded the most common dying epiphanies of her patients.

They were:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not what others expected.

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

His sister Ceri Subbe raised the alarm when she had not spoken to him for 10 days.

On August 23 an officer went to the top floor flat in Alderney Street, less than a mile to the agency headquarters, and found the decomposing body locked in a red North Face holdall.

Today the court saw footage of the large holdall, with Mr Williams inside, bulging in the spotless bathroom with a 15mm Yale brass padlock placed through the two zips where they eyelets matched where they closed at the top of the bag.

The other three North Face bags in the flat were locked with similar locks.

DCI Sebire confirmed that the call from Mrs Subbe was the first the police had heard of his disappearance despite the spook not showing for a meeting on August 16.

She took the family through his last days after he returned from a conference which he extended into a holiday in America on August 11 2010.

That day he shopped at Selfridge before being spotted on CCTV the next day at Harvey Nichols, Waitrose, and Harrods.

On August 13 he popped into the MI6 office before speaking to his sister then going on to watch 'tranny superstar' Jonny Woo at the Bistrotheque in Bethnal Green alone.

Over the next two days he was spotted shopping in Fortnum and Masons, Benetton and Harrods before eventually being seen returning to his flat at 3.05pm with bags of shopping. He was not seen again.

Despite the fears of the family that an agent of the 'dark arts' of the secret service had got rid of any evidence of what happened to him DCI Sebire today reassured the court that she had secured the crime scene and her team has 'primacy' in the investigation and no-one had entered the flat without her permission.

Earlier, his mother, Ellen, walked out on inquest proceedings amid family distress at delays in evidence.

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

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

The court has heard how the spy, whose body was discovered in a padlocked bag, was desperate to leave his intelligence post and complained about ‘friction’ at MI6 headquarters.

His family revealed that the 31-year-old was a ‘scrupulous risk assessor’ and a meticulous genius who colleagues compared to a Swiss clock.

But he had become disenchanted with a heavy drinking ‘office culture’, the London ‘rat race’ and work politics at the spy agency’s central Thames-side HQ.

He applied to end his secondment early and return to the GCHQ Government listening station in Cheltenham, where he worked as a highly prized code-breaker.

But just one week before he was due to leave, his naked and decomposing body was found in a large sports holdall in the bath of his home, sparking a huge police investigation.

On Monday, his grieving family attended the first day of a long-awaited inquest into his mysterious death.

Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox pledged to hold a ‘full and fearless’ inquiry as she heard how Mr Williams wanted to escape the ‘rat race’ of the capital and was frustrated that MI6 had been dragging its feet over the move.

The court heard how the spy was extremely conscientious and his family said he would never let anyone into his flat apart from them.

Meanwhile, MI6 was accused of failing to raise the alarm when he missed a key meeting one week before his body was found.

Revelations about his personal life and claims that no third-party fingerprints or DNA were found in his home fuelled speculation around the circumstances of his death.

The spy's sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest her brother was excited when he began what was supposed to be a three-year secondment to MI6 from GCHQ, the Government listening station based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

But he missed the countryside and became disillusioned with the atmosphere at MI6's Vauxhall Cross headquarters in London.

'He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office,' Mrs Subbe said.

She added: 'The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with.'

The inquest, in Westminster, heard details of the spy’s life, including how he went to university aged just 16, joining the University of Bangor’s computer science department.

It was also told how the successful cyclist and fell runner followed the arts and fashion and had a £20,000 collection of women’s designer clothing in his wardrobe.

Mrs Subbe said her brother was ‘the most scrupulous risk-assessor’ she had ever known. She said he would meticulously check his equipment before rock climbing, cycling and fell running.

The inquest, which is expected to last eight days, continues.

UPI : Inquest into British spy's death

Inquest into British spy's death

April 24, 2012

LONDON, April 24 (UPI) -- Small pieces of DNA were found on the carryall in which the remains of slain British spy Gareth Williams were found, a coroner's inquest heard Tuesday.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire told the inquest the small DNA fragments were discovered on the zipper's toggle and padlock used to lock the carryall encasing Williams' body, found in the bath of his Pimlico apartment.

He was reported missing Aug. 23, 2010, Britain's The Telegraph reported.

"My thought or opinion since I went into the scene is that a third party had been involved in the death or in putting the bag in the bath," Sebire said.

A graphic was shown at the Westminster Coroner's Court inquest displaying how Williams' nude and decomposing body was bent into the fetal position, arms crossed across his chest.

Sebire said Williams had been fit and muscular and she did not see any evidence of tearing to the netting inside the bag.

The inquest heard Monday there were no inquiries conducted by any agencies other than MI6 since 2001.

Andrew O'Connor, attorney for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, told coroner Fiona Wilcox MI6 had conducted an internal investigation of its own.

"The fruits of that internal investigation were shared with the police at the time," O'Connor said.

Williams' sister, Ceri Subbe testified Monday her brother had tired of the "rat race" and the "flash car competition and post-work drinking culture" of MI6.

Sun : Inquest hears 'spy in bag' wanted to quit London over red tape

Inquest hears 'spy in bag' wanted to quit London over red tape

Neil Millard | April 24, 2012

AN MI6 spy found dead in a bag at his flat was unhappy in London and complained of “friction” with intelligence chiefs over red tape, his inquest heard yesterday.

Gareth Williams had asked to be transferred back to GCHQ in Gloucestershire because he hated the "rat race" and "flash car competitions", but secret service bosses were “dragging their feet”.

The 31-year-old had been on a three-year secondment. But, with the agreement of MI6 chiefs, the cycling enthusiast was set to finally return to the West Country a week after he was found dead in August 2010.

His sister Ceri Subbe insisted he would not have let a potential killer into his apartment, adding: “I cannot emphasise enough his conscientiousness.”

In a statement, she told Westminster Coroner's Court: “He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office.”

Explaining her comment, Ms Subbe said: “The job was not quite what he expected. He encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with.”

The policeman who was first to find him dead in a holdall told how he was surprised not to have smelled his rotting corpse sooner.

PC John Gallagher said he only picked up the “particular smell” of a body when he tried to lift the bag up.

He said: “I looked at the bag to try to get a picture. I noticed that the side nearest the door had a round bulge.

“I noticed there was a padlock with the two zips joined together.

“At this point I am realising it is something serious and my concern was to not damage anything in a crime scene.”

He lifted the bag up “by six or seven inches” and saw red fluid seeping out.

The cop was on foot patrol when he received instructions to carry out a “welfare check” on Mr Williams who had not been seen for around 12 days.

PC Gallagher knocked repeatedly on the door without reply. He said he noticed a woman’s wig when he was eventually let in by a letting agent.

He made his way into the flat’s bathroom, noticing a bulging red North Face holdall in the bath, with the zips padlocked together.

PC Gallagher had entered the top-floor flat in Pimlico, central London, at around 5pm on August 23, 2010. It is just half a mile from MI6’s headquarters.

He called for assistance and after Detective Sergeant Paul Colgan turned up the bag was cut open and Mr Williams’s body found.

His sister was asked about £20,000 of women’s clothes which were found in his flat after he died.

She said it was “not particularly” surprising, adding that they were “possibly a gift”.

The inquest continues.

Herald Sun : Ladies' clothes in dead spy's flat

Ladies' clothes in dead spy's flat

AFP | April 24, 2012

A POLICEMAN has described finding the decomposing body of a British spy in a padlocked bag in a bathtub.

A lady's wig and an extensive collection of women's clothing were also discovered in the London flat of 31 year-old intelligence officer Gareth Williams, who was working for Britain's MI6 external intelligence service.

The details of the grim discovery were revealed yesterday as the inquest resumed into the mysterious death two years ago.

His family believe secret agents versed in the "dark arts" of espionage tried to cover up his death, but Scotland Yard detectives have found no evidence that anyone else had been with Mr Williams in his flat at the time of his death.

As the dead man's parents and sister watched in silence in the courtroom, John Gallagher said he was called to Mr Williams' flat on August 23, 2010, because of concerns over his welfare after he had not been seen for over a week.

He said that in an en suite bathroom he noticed a "particular smell" and a red North Face holdall in the bath.

"I looked at the bag - I noticed a bulge. I noticed there was a padlock. Two of the zips were joined together," he said.

"I lifted the bag, possibly only six or seven inches - it was quite heavy. That's when I noticed some red fluid. It was in the bath, like it had been seeping out of the bag."

Police also found a "lady's wig" hanging on a chair and a mobile phone laid out on the dining table of the flat along with two SIM cards, while the lights were on although it was daytime.

They confirmed the naked body in the bag was that of Mr Williams and realised within hours that he was an MI6 agent, resulting in the rapid involvement of counter-terror police.

But the five-day inquest, at which almost 40 witnesses are to give evidence, will be shown a video of a practical demonstration of how Mr Williams could have got into the bag and locked it by himself.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox said the demonstration was "at the very heart of this inquiry," given that one suggestion is Mr Williams had got into the bag as part of a sadomasochistic sex ritual.

But it will not be performed live in court "to prevent proceedings becoming ridiculous," she said.

Earlier, Mr Williams' sister described how he had been seconded to MI6 from GCHQ, Britain's electronic "listening post" which monitors communications for intelligence purposes, based in Cheltenham, western England.

Ceri Subbe said her brother had experienced some "friction in the office" and had asked to cut the secondment short - returning to Cheltenham after one year instead of three. He had also just completed a work trip to the United States.e

Although he never discussed details of his work, he had said the MI6 job "was not quite what he expected." He was a "country boy" who had quickly tired of the London "rat race," she told the inquest.

But the family were not concerned about his state of mind at the time of his death, finding him "upbeat" in their final conversation.

Despite media reports that Mr Williams told friends he was being followed, Ms Subbe said her brother had never mentioned such concerns to her.

He was "scrupulous" in assessing risk and let very few people into his flat, she said.

Ms Subbe was unaware that her brother had an extensive wardrobe of female clothing in his flat and speculated it could possibly be "a gift ... or collectibles".

The coroner said the clothing had an approximate value of 20,000 pounds ($31,300).

Mr Williams, who came from Wales and is thought to have been a mathematics genius, started university at age 16 and went on to earn a doctorate, his sister said.

A lawyer for the Williams family, Anthony O'Toole, said at a pre-inquest review hearing last month that they believe someone else was either present when he died, or broke into his home afterwards to destroy evidence.

"The impression of the family is that the unknown third party was a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services - or evidence has been removed post-mortem by experts in the dark arts," he said.

Four intelligence agents are to testify at the inquest, which police said could lead to criminal proceedings, but they will be identified only by letters of the alphabet and speak from behind screens.

Some information about the work of the intelligence agencies is being withheld on national security grounds, but the coroner said it was "marginal" to the inquiry.

Sky : Spy inquest hears DNA found

Spy inquest hears DNA found

April 24, 2012

A senior detective has revealed at an inquest that small "components" of another person's DNA were found on the padlocked bag containing the body of MI6 codebreaker Gareth Williams.

The spy's naked and decomposing body was found in a holdall in the bath of his home in Pimlico, central London, on August 23, 2010.

On the second day of evidence at Westminster Coroner's Court, a police video of the crime scene was shown - which included footage of the bag in the flat.

DCI Jackie Sebire gave details to the inquest about the investigation into Mr Williams' death and the forensic evidence found at the scene.

The codebreaker was found lying on his back inside the red North Face bag, with his legs folded up to his chest.

She said it was believed the codebreaker did not attempt to get out of the bag, as there were no signs of distress on his body or marks inside the holdall.

While weak blood stains from Mr Williams were found on the holdall's handles - "two minor components of another contributor's DNA" were found on the bag and padlock.

DCI Sebire said: "My thought or my opinion since I went into the scene is that a third party had been involved in the death or by putting the body in the bag."

The holdall had been padlocked on the outside and the inquest heard how two zip eyelets would have been drawn together before the padlock bar was slipped through both, then turned and pushed closed.

The police video of the Pimlico flat, shot the day after Mr Williams' body was found, showed it was tidy, but very sparse.

Items which can be seen inside include a bright orange wig hanging on the back of a chair in the living room, and a red T-shirt - similar to the one the spy was wearing in the last known CCTV images of him.

Video of the flat also showed a cutting from the Observer newspaper headlined "Top Five Regrets Of The Dying".

On Monday the inquest heard there was still a "real possibility" of bringing criminal charges over Mr Williams' death - as his sister revealed he had complained of "friction" at work and had become disillusioned with life in London.

The inquest continues.

AFP : Mystery DNA found on spy body bag

Mystery DNA found on spy body bag

By Judith Evans | April 24, 2012

LONDON — Traces of mysterious DNA were found on the locked holdall containing the naked body of British spy Gareth Williams, the inquest into his unexplained death heard Tuesday.

"Two minor components of another contributor's DNA" were found on the zip toggle and padlock of the bag in which his decomposing body was found in a bath in his London flat, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire told the court.

The police officer said her team had worked from the start on the assumption that a "third party" was involved in the death of Williams, 31, despite their failure so far to find proof of another person's presence when he died.

His family has said they believe someone versed in the "dark arts" tried to cover up the circumstances of his August 2010 death.

"My opinion since I went into the scene is that a third party had been involved in the death or by putting the body in the bag," Sebire told the court.

Scotland Yard detectives have been stumped as to the cause of death and will show the court a video reconstruction of how Williams might have entered the bag by himself, after speculation he might have done so as part of a sex game.

Williams was said to have been a brilliant codebreaker and was on secondment to Britain's external intelligence agency MI6 from GCHQ, the centre which monitors electronic communications.

His body was found in a foetal position in the bag which was padlocked from the outside, according to graphics shown to court. Beneath him inside the bag were keys that could have opened the lock.

"In my opinion he was very calm. His face was very calm. His hands were resting on his chest," Sebire said.

Sebire said there were no signs of a struggle in the red North Face holdall, adding that Williams "was very muscular, he trained regularly. It is only my opinion, but I would at least expect some tearing to the netting."

Forensic evidence included a spot of someone else's blood in the building's communal hallway, and in the flat a spot of Williams' blood which Sebire said could have dated from around the time he went missing or could be older.

There is "limited" scope for identifying anyone from the DNA but tests continue, she said.

Video filmed by detectives after the body's discovery showed an immaculately kept apartment with a woman's wig, lipstick and makeup visible, plus a cutting from the Observer newspaper headlined "Top five regrets of the dying".

After Williams' death, police found in the flat £20,000 (24,500 euros, $32,200) worth of women's clothes and shoes, many from designer labels, as well as a number of wigs.

A dressing gown and quilt discarded on the bedroom floor were the only exceptions to the spotless tidiness of the flat, with no signs of a break-in.

CCTV footage before his death showed Williams shopping in top department stores Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges and looking relaxed.

The last clip of him alive dates from August 15, eight days before his body was found, while computer evidence showed him looking at a cycling website the following day.

His sister, Ceri Subbe, told the inquest Monday that Williams had spoken of "friction in the office" and had cut short his MI6 placement.

A lawyer for the family, Anthony O'Toole, said last month they believe someone else was either present when he died or broke into his home afterwards.

"The impression of the family is that the unknown third party was a member of some agency specialising in the dark arts of the secret services -- or evidence has been removed post-mortem by experts in the dark arts," he said.

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved.

UKPA : Mystery DNA at spy's death scene

Mystery DNA at spy's death scene

April 24, 2012

A mysterious DNA discovery at the central London death scene of MI6 spy Gareth Williams was revealed as a detective said she believed there was third party involvement.

Unidentified forensic traces were left on the bag encasing his curled-up body in a bath, Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire said.

The leading officer in the case came close to ruling out suicide as she said "two minor components of another contributor's DNA" were found on the zip toggle and padlock.

Her evidence came as footage of a red holdall bulging with his body shape was played in public for the first time.

Ms Sebire said her officers had looked at all possibilities. But she told Westminster Coroner's Court: "My thought or my opinion since I went into the scene is that a third party had been involved in the death or by putting the body in the bag."

Items on display in footage of Mr Williams' immaculately kept flat included a newspaper cutting headlined "top five regrets of the dying".

The police video took the inquest on a walking tour of his Pimlico home, showing a woman's red wig, lipstick and make-up, in the condition that it was found.

Footage then showed close-up images of the white bathroom suite where Mr Williams's body was found. The film zoomed in on the red North Face bag, showing bulges from his limbs inside and a brass padlock locking two zips together from the outside.

There was no sign of a break-in at the flat, with cash left in a cupboard and a mobile phone on the living room table.

Mr Williams's sister, Ceri Subbe, sat in the hearing without her parents, who walked out this morning over delays in evidence. The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday, when friends of Mr Williams will give evidence.

Copyright © 2012 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

Guardian : Gareth Williams' inquest hears of mystery DNA at crime scene

Gareth Williams' inquest hears of mystery DNA at crime scene

MI6 officer's body was found padlocked in a sports bag in 2010, but court hears no injuries were found on body

Caroline Davies | April 24, 2012

Mysterious fragments of DNA were found on the padlocked sports bag in which the badly decomposed body of MI6 officer Gareth Williams was found, the inquest into his death has heard.

Detailed forensic examination found "two minor components of another contributor's DNA" on one cord toggle, as well as a small blood stain in the fabric belonging to Williams.

Tests on the padlock revealed weak stains believed to be Williams's blood, as well as "small components of another contributor's DNA". An invisible, weak blood stain on the outside of the bag belonged to the 31-year-old ciphers and codes expert.

The details were revealed as police video of the crime scene, with footage of the red North Face holdall containing the body of Williams, was shown to Westminster coroner's court.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox heard that the samples were the subject of continuing forensic testing.

Williams's sister Ceri Subbe, watched as a police graphic demonstrated how the bag had been padlocked. The bag's two zips were pulled together, the zip toggles taut, and the eyelets from one zip lined up neatly below the eyelet of the other, with the locking bar of a Yale padlock pushed through both and into the locking position.

The body of Williams, a keen cyclist and fell walker, was found on 23 August 2010, eight days after he was last seen shopping in the West End on a CCTV camera. His laptop had been used to access a cycling site in the early hours of 16 August.

A laser-scanned graphic showed his body in the foetal position.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, chief investigating officer, said his face and body were "very calm", with his arms lying on his chest, no injuries to his nails and fingers, and no "signs of stress or tearing" on the bag's inside netting.

Underneath his right buttock, there was a set of two Yale keys that matched the padlock that lockedon the bag, which would have been "incredibly difficult" to reach, given their position and the restrictions of the bag, the hearing was told.

Sebire said "at the heart of the investigation" was whether Williams, who was of slight but muscular build, could have locked himself inside the bag.

She said: "My thought or opinion was that a third party had been involved in the death, or getting the bag into the bath."

Forensic tests could find no prints on the tiled wall to indicate that Williams had balanced to lower himself into the bag in the bath, or that anyone else had balanced to position the bag. There was no evidence that the bathroom or bag had been bleached or cleaned.

A small spot of Williams's dried blood was found on the carpet near the stairs in the flat. Two shoeprints in the kitchen were too small to establish size or wearer, she said.

"No stone has been unturned. I've tried to do everything I can to understand what happened," said Sebire. She acknowledged there was "limited scope" for further forensic discoveries.

Anthony O'Toole, lawyer for the family, queried why police thought it necessary to fit "a brand new front door and brand new alarm" to the flat, when there was no sign of a break-in. Sebire said the door needed to be forensically examined, but the alarm was because of concerns over the press and other people trying to "talk their way in".

Police found a newspaper cutting from the Observer entitled "the top five regrets of the dying" under a book on the coffee table of the "immaculately tidy" top-floor flat in Pimlico. It was dated 15 August 2010, eight days before Williams's body was discovered. It was about research by nurses into what people regretted most on their deathbeds.

These included not having the "courage to live life true to myself", and the wish that people had "not worked so hard", "stayed in touch with friends" and "let myself be happier", the inquest heard.

Police video of the living room showed a bright orange and yellow woman's wig hanging on a chair, and a wig stocking cap bought in the US, where Williams had just been on a work assignment and holiday.

He was due to move back to Cheltenham the following week, and his bedroom was filled with packed boxes and four yellow holdalls similar to the red one his body was found in. Inside, police found "items of high-value female clothes" in small and medium sizes, as well as 26 pairs of shoes and boots, size 6-6½. It was unclear if they were Williams's size. Just four pairs appeared to have been used. One pair cost £1,000, the hearing was told.

Designer names included Stella McCartney, Chloe and Dior, Sebire said.The clothes were "immaculate, folded, buttoned, with quite a few in tissue paper". "They were very high value, so pristine, and obviously had been looked after well". Receipts found showed that the collection dated from 2008-09. Asked if they could fit Williams, Sebire replied "possibly".

There were wigs in net packaging, which appeared to be unused. Nail varnish, concealer, eye-shadow, Mac foundation and Jemma Kidd lipstick, all new, were found.

In his bedroom, a pair of chinos, some T-shirts and underpants were neatly folded on the bed. But the quilt was crumpled and trailing on the floor which, said Sebire, was at odds with the tidiness of the rest of the flat. "That was something that was not easily explainable," she said.

Traces of Williams's semen were found near the sink in the bathroom, and on his quilt.

Williams arrived back from a trip to the US on 11 August, the inquest heard.

CCTV footage showed him shopping at Selfridge's on 1th, and at Harvey Nichols on 12th. He popped into his office on 12th.

On 13 August he went alone to a comedy club in Bethnal Green to watch the transvestite show The Johnny Woo Experience. The next day, CCTV shows him shopping at Fortnum & Mason.

The last CCTV of him is of 15 August, when he is again seen shopping, buying cakes at Harrods, and buying peppered steaks at Waitrose, before returning home shortly after 3pm.

Sian Lloyd Jones, who described herself as "a childhood sweetheart" who had known Williams since primary school, said they were "close friends" but "just friends", and saw each other "every other day" during the year she spent living in London until she returned to north Wales in January 2010.

The fashion stylist was asked by the coroner if she knew whether Williams was a transvestite. "Strongly no, not at all," she replied.

Asked how to explain the clothing, she said Williams was "a very generous person" who had given her a lot of gifts in the past, expensive items such as a Mulberry bag. "It wouldn't surprise me if they [the clothes] were for gifts," she said. He had never bought her footwear, said Jones, who said her shoe size was a 3.

She said she thought Williams would have told her if her was a transvestite, because she had a lot of gay friends, and also because she believed he would have confided in her.

The inquest heard how an inputting error on the taking of forensic samples initially led police to believe that DNA from a third person had been found on Williams's body. It was only discovered in February that it was actually DNA from one of the forensic officers.

Sebire said the mistake had been both financially and emotionally costly. Around 60 people, friends and colleagues, were DNA tested to see if they matched, she said, while Williams's family had been given hope that a third party could be identified.

The hearing continues.

Global Post : Espionage: inquiry begins into death of Gareth Williams, British MI6 agent

Espionage: inquiry begins into death of Gareth Williams, British MI6 agent

Gareth Williams, the MI6 worker found dead inside a padlocked bag in the bath at his London apartment in 2010, had requested a transfer from the espionage agency and had complained about "friction" at work, a British inquest heard.

April 24, 2012

Gareth Williams, the MI6 worker found dead inside a padlocked bag in the bath at his London apartment in 2010, had requested a transfer from the espionage agency and had complained about "friction" at work, a British inquest heard.

Williams, 31, had become disenchanted with a heavy drinking "office culture" at the spy agency’s central Thames-side headquarters and London's "rat race," said his sister Ceri Subbe, according to the Daily Mail.

Subbe told Westminster coroner's court that her brother, a cycling enthusiast who was happiest "in the mountains," disliked "office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race," and had wanted to return to the intelligence agency GCHQ in Cheltenham.

Williams, a cipher and codes expert, was only on a three-year secondment to MI6 when his decomposed naked body was found, his mobile telephone and sim cards carefully laid out on a table, the Guardian reported.

Underwear was reportedly found neatly folded on a bed and a woman’s wig was hanging on a chair, the inquiry has heard.

There were no signs of forced entry and his apartment was left in an "extremely tidy" state, according to a police officer also who gave evidence, John Gallagher.

According to Britain's Daily Telegraph, police believe Williams may have been killed by a "jealous lover," but they do not rule out the possibility his death was linked to his intelligence work.

The inquiry also heard that Williams was extremely conscientious and his family said he would never let anyone into his flat apart from them.