News dot Com (Au) : MI6 worker 'locked himself in bag'

MI6 worker 'locked himself in bag'

December 28, 2012

MI6 CODEBREAKER Gareth Williams probably locked himself into the sports bag where his naked, dead body was discovered in 2010, Scotland Yard has found.

After conducting a review of the case, Scotland Yard has found Williams probably locked himself into the sports bag and was not the victim of a hit by the security services, Britain's Daily Telegraph reports.

Westminster Coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, said earlier this year she could not rule out the involvement of the security services in the death. That ruling sparked a review of the case by Scotland Yard’s murder squad which involved re-interviewing Williams' colleagues from MI6 and taken DNA samples.

Williams’s naked body was found in a red North Face gym bag in an empty bath in his apartment in Pimlico, central London in August 2010. The keys to the red bag were found in the bottom of the bag.

Detectives had believed that someone else must have locked the codebreaker in the bag and launched a search for a mysterious Mediterranean couple, who were later ruled out of inquiries.

Williams’s colleagues at MI6 had failed to report him missing for a week and failed to turn over nine memory sticks and a black bag under his desk at their Vauxhall Cross headquarters, sparking rumours of a cover-up.

Detectives now believe he probably died alone, The Telegraph reports.

A source close to the inquiry told the newspaper: "They have been unable to find any trace of anyone who should not have been in the flat and have every reason to believe that Gareth may have climbed into the bag himself and been unable to get out."

Two experts tried a total of 400 times to lock themselves into the bag and one claimed that even world-famous escapologist Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to squeeze himself inside.

But days after the inquest verdict a retired Army sergeant demonstrated that it was possible to climb into a similar North Face bag and lock it from the inside.

Scotland Yard detectives have now been able to repeat the experiment with some slight differences to the way the bag was locked, but which fits with how Gareth Williams was found in August 2010.

Dr Wilcox, a former negligence barrister, had ruled that the lack of hand and footprints in the bathroom was "significant". The Telegraph understands police were able to identify around 300 fingerprints in the flat.

The coroner also dismissed speculation that Williams died as a result of some sort of "auto-erotic activity". But detectives now believe that is probably a likely option, the newspaper reports.

The inquest had heard that Williams, a codebreaker for GCHQ who was on secondment to MI6, had been found in his boxer shorts and tied to his bed by his landlord and landlady in Cheltenham a few years earlier.

Video footage found on a mobile phone in the deceased's flat showed Williams dressed in nothing but black leather boots as he "wiggled and gyrated" for the camera.

He browsed self-bondage websites and sites about claustrophilia - the love of enclosure - on his computers and phone and was looking at fetish websites days before his death.

He also kept pictures of drag queens on his computer and had 20,000 pounds ($31,000) worth of designer women's clothing in his apartment as well as women’s shoes and wigs.

Friends and family were upset at speculation Williams may have been gay and believed "some agency specialising in the dark arts" was behind his killing.

In her ruling, Dr Wilcox said there was no evidence to suggest the spy was a transvestite "or interested in any such thing". The make-up found in his apartment was more likely to reflect his interest in fashion and the wigs were "far more consistent with dress-up such as attendance at a manga conference", she said.

The suggestion that his interest in female footwear could have been of a sexual nature, was not unusual, Dr Wilcox observed.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the investigation remained "active" and that officers were still exploring "a number of lines of enquiry."

The coroner said it remained a "legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services were involved in Williams's death although there was no firm evidence.

Gloucestershire Echo : Claims Gareth Williams could have locked himself in bag

Claims Gareth Williams could have locked himself in bag

December 28, 2012

SPY Gareth Williams did lock himself inside a holdall – according to reports from investigators.

Scotland Yard detectives reportedly think the GCHQ codebreaker, who was on secondment with MI6, must have climbed inside the sports bag, where his naked body was found, rather than been assassinated.

Mr Williams' body was found curled up inside the padlocked red North Face holdall in the empty bathtub of his apartment in Pimlico, central London, in August 2010.

The keys to the padlock were also found inside the bag.

An inquest in May concluded the 31-year-old had most likely been poisoned or had suffocated.

Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said she was sure someone else had locked Mr Williams in the holdall after two experts tried 400 times to lock themselves inside the bag.

One claimed even Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to squeeze himself into the holdall.

But days after the inquest verdict, a retired army sergeant showed how it was possible to climb into a similar bag and lock it from inside.

Following the inquest ruling, Scotland Yard's murder squad vowed to investigate new evidence.

A report by The Daily Telegraph said detectives had now concluded that he probably died alone and were preparing to present their new findings to the coroner.

It also said they believed the "only explanation left" was that Mr Williams died as a result of "autoerotic activity".

A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: "This remains an active investigation and officers continue to explore lines of enquiry.

"Officers remain open-minded in relation to the circumstances of the death of Mr Williams."

Express : MI6 SPY IN A BAG LOCKED HIMSELF IN, SAY POLICE

MI6 SPY IN A BAG LOCKED HIMSELF IN, SAY POLICE

By Will Gant | December 28, 2012

DETECTIVES investigating the mysterious death of an MI6 officer found padlocked in a bag now believe that he “probably” sealed himself in.

The decaying remains of Gareth Williams, 31, were discovered inside a holdall dumped in a bath at his flat in central London in August 2010.

At the inquest into his death earlier this year, the coroner ruled that a “third party” must have helped shut him in the bag before fleeing, prompting police to vow to hunt down his killer.

Two professional escapologists had declared that Mr ­Williams could not have been alone, after trying and failing in 400 attempts to shut themselves in an identical bag without any help.

But just days later a retired Army sergeant proved the feat was possible after filming his teenage daughter close the padlock from the inside.

More than six months on, detectives are now said to be increasingly sure the young codebreaker’s own actions, rather than foul play, led to his death.

A source said: “They have been unable to find any trace of anyone who should not have been in the flat and there is every reason to believe that Gareth may have climbed into the bag himself and been unable to get out.” Police are now said to be preparing to present their findings to Dr Fiona ­Wilcox, the coroner of Westminster, who presided over the inquest.

Fitness enthusiast and keen cyclist Mr Williams had been on secondment to MI6 from Government listening post GCHQ at the time of his death.

But he was said to have been unhappy with the placement and wanted to cut it short.

Both agencies ruled out conspiracy theories that the tragedy was connected to his top secret work following their own internal investigations.

However, this was questioned by the barrister for the dead spy’s family, who said that relatives feared his death had been orchestrated by “some agency specialising in the dark arts or secret services”. Questions were also raised about why Mr Williams’ line manager at MI6 failed to report him missing for more than a week when he stopped turning up for work.

Police were also left mystified by the presence of some £20,000 worth of women’s clothes in the flat in Pimlico, along with ladies’ wigs and make-up. Mr Williams was a single man.

A Met spokesman said officers “retain an open mind in relation to the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Williams.

“This remains an active investigation, and officers continue to explore a number of lines of inquiry,” he said.

Daily Star : SPY ‘GOT INTO BAG HIMSELF’

SPY ‘GOT INTO BAG HIMSELF’

By Keyan Milanian | December 28, 2012

AN MI6 spy probably locked himself in the holdall he was found dead in, police sources claim.

After a coroner said she could not rule out the involvement of the secret service, the police carried out another review into Gareth Williams’s death.

The code-breaker, 31, was found dead in his flat in Pimlico, central London, in 2010. Two experts claimed Harry Houdini “would have struggled” to get into the holdall alone.

And coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox dismissed “autoerotic activity”.

But police now believe that is the only explanation left. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “This remains an active investigation.”