BBC : 'Credible evidence' MI6 spy died alone, says pathologist

'Credible evidence' MI6 spy died alone, says pathologist

[podcast]

By Philip Kemp | Radio 4's The Report | May 24, 2012

A leading pathologist says the possibility MI6 officer Gareth Williams died alone should be re-examined.

Dr Richard Shepherd told the BBC there is "credible evidence" that bags identical to the one Mr Williams was found in can be locked by someone inside the bag.

Expert witnesses at the inquest into Mr Williams' death failed to do so despite making hundreds of attempts.

However, evidence has since been published claiming it can be done.

Dr Shepherd, who conducted one of the post-mortem examinations of Gareth Williams, has previously worked on other high profile cases including the deaths of Princess Diana and the government scientist David Kelly.

He says the police should now re-examine the possibility Mr Williams died alone as part of their on-going investigations.

Speaking to Radio 4's The Report, he said: "Now that we have credible evidence that it is possible to lock the bag from the inside, whilst it doesn't rule out homicide, clearly the chances of this as a solitary sexual act have to be considered in any future investigation by the Metropolitan Police."

The Metropolitan Police said the circumstances of Gareth Williams' death continue to be the subject of a thorough investigation.

Mr Williams was found dead, locked in a bag located in a bath tub in his London flat in 2010. One key question before the inquest into his death was whether he had locked himself in the bag.

At the pre-inquest hearing, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said the question was central to her inquiries.

Confined space expert Peter Faulding told the inquest that while he could not rule out that it was possible, "even Houdini would have struggled with this one".

A second expert, William MacKay said he and an assistant had also failed despite making more than a hundred attempts.

Their evidence helped the coroner Dr Wilcox earlier this month come to the conclusion that Mr Williams was probably unlawfully killed.

New evidence emerges

However, journalist Claire Hayhurst claims she managed to lock herself in a similar bag after just five attempts under the guidance of a former soldier, Jim Featherstonhaugh, who claims to have figured out a technique.

"The trickiest part was getting the lock together which is the biggest riddle of it. I spent maybe two-and-a-half hours getting in and out, filming it, and most of that time was spent with me outside the bag desperately drinking water and trying to recover," she told the BBC.

"I'm not super-fit but I've been told I've got a similar build to Gareth.

"I'd agree that someone of exactly the same proportions would be a fairer comparison but I do think me doing it shows that it's certainly possible."

Claire Hayhurst stresses she worked under the supervision of safety experts and says any attempt to recreate the experiment would be highly dangerous.

Confined space expert Peter Faulding told The Report he stood by the evidence he gave to the inquest.

"None of my conclusions were wrong - a young girl zipping a bag doesn't discredit this inquiry whatsoever," he said.

"We were fully aware of other methods of being able to lock the bag but she or nobody could achieve it without leaving her DNA on the bath - and that's the key to this," he added.

It has also been pointed out that Claire Hayhurst did not lock the bag in exactly the same way as the holdall found in Gareth Williams' flat.

At the inquest into his death, Dr Fiona Wilcox said she was satisfied that a third party had been involved in moving the bag containing the MI6 officer into the bathroom of his flat.

Wales Online : M16 officer Gareth Williams' death 'fits with sexual asphyxiation', says inquest pathologist

M16 officer Gareth Williams' death 'fits with sexual asphyxiation', says inquest pathologist

By Julia McWatt, WalesOnline | May 24, 2012

A PATHOLOGIST in the inquest of MI6 officer Gareth Williams has said the case should be re-examined if claims by two individuals that they could shut themselves inside the sports holdall that Mr Williams’ body was found in turn out to be true.

A 16-year-old girl whose father Jim Fetherstonhaugh – a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery – developed a method of zipping up the identical North Face bag from the inside, and journalist Claire Hayhurst who used Mr Fetherstonhaugh’s method, both said they were successful in their attempts to shut themselves in the bag.

The naked body of Mr Williams, 31, from Anglesey, was discovered padlocked inside the holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, London, on August 23, 2010.

Dr Richard Shepherd, who gave evidence at the inquest last month, told BBC Radio 4: “I think it brings once again to the fore the possibility that this was a solitary act by Gareth. From my point of view, as I look across the deaths associated with sexual asphyxiation, this is one that fits quite neatly into that group of practice, bizarre though it is.

“Certainly, I think this is a significant bit of evidence, which, if shown to be correct does need to be brought again into consideration."

Experts had told Mr Williams' inquest how they had tried unsuccessfully to lock themselves in the bag up to 300 times.

But Mr Fetherstonhaugh adopted a method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance. It is said to be the reverse of a trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, that are flexible with sides that can be pinched together.

His daughter Izzy, 16, who at 5ft 3ins was 3ins shorter than Mr Williams, fitted inside the bag.

He told swns.com: "She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference.

"She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn'y have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.

"She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in.

"Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop."

Ms Hayhurst, a reporter for swns.com, who is 5ft 4in tall and of a slight build similar to Mr Williams tested the method, and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.

The coroner had concluded Mr Williams' death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".

Telegraph : MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have locked himself in bag, pathologist suggests

MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have locked himself in bag, pathologist suggests

MI6 spy Gareth Williams may have locked himself in the sports holdall in which he was found dead in his flat, a pathologist who examined his body has suggested.

By Murray Wardrop | May 24, 2012

Dr Richard Shepherd said the theory that the 31-year-old died after locking himself inside the bag should be re-examined after an Army veteran and a journalist appeared to demonstrate it is possible.

The question was central to the inquest into his death. However, coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox concluded that on the "balance of probabilities" Mr Williams was unlawfully killed by a mysterious third party after experts claimed even world-famous escapologist Harry Houdini "would have struggled" to squeeze himself into the North Face holdall.

Earlier this month, Jim Fetherstonhaugh, a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery, and journalist Claire Hayhurst carried out experiments which appeared to show Mr Williams could have acted alone.

Dr Shepherd described their successful attempts to carry out the same feat as “significant” and said he had always believed that Mr Williams’s death may have occurred during a bizarre game.

The pathologist, who carried out a third post mortem examination of the spy’s body, said: “I think it brings once again to the fore the possibility that this was a solitary act by Gareth.

“From my point of view as I look across the deaths associated with sexual asphyxias this is one that fits quite neatly within that group of practice, bizarre though it is.

“Certainly, I think this is a significant bit of evidence, which, if shown to be correct does need to be brought again into consideration.”

Mr Williams, a maths prodigy, was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ when his body was found in August 2010. His badly decomposed remains were nside the bag which was placed in the bath at his flat in Pimlico, west London.

The inquest heard that two experts had tried in vain more than 400 times to lock themselves inside an identical holdall

Peter Faulding, a former Parachute Regiment reservist and expert in confined rescues, said he tried 300 times to lock himself inside the 81cm by 48 cm holdall but failed every time.

He told the inquest: “I can't say it was impossible but I think I even Houdini would struggle with that one. My personal belief is that it could not be done."

William MacKay and a colleague tried and failed 100 times but said he could not rule out that a genius might have managed it.

But Mr Fetherstonhaugh, 49, discovered a method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.

He got his 16-year-old daughter and a 23-year-old female journalist to test the theory and found both managed to lock themselves inside a bag ths same as that in which Mr Williams's body was found.

However, Mr Faulding today dismissed the claims, telling the BBC: “None of my conclusions are wrong. A young girl zipping a bag doesn’t discredit this inquiry whatsoever.

“We were fully aware of other methods of being able to lock the bag but she or nobody could achieve it without leaving her DNA or trace on the bath and that’s the key to this.”

Mr Fetherstonhaugh's technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.

His daughter Izzy, who at 5ft 5ins was 3ins shorter than Mr Williams, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.

She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.

She then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.

But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.

Mr Fetherstonhaugh, of Shrewton, Wilts, said of Mr Faulding’s attempts: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.

"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.”

To test his technique Claire Hayhurst, a reporter for South West News, who is 5' 4" tall and of slight build similar to Mr Williams, zipped herself into the bag without assistance.

She repeated the task a number of times on video and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.

Salisbury Journal : Army sergeant comes up with 'spy in the bag' solution

Army sergeant comes up with 'spy in the bag' solution

Elizabeth Kemble | May 16, 2012

AN army sergeant from Shrewton has demonstrated how an MI6 code breaker found dead inside a padlocked holdall, could have climbed in himself.

Gareth Williams, 31, was found dead at a Security Services flat in London on August 2010.

Earlier this month an inquest concluded Mr Williams’ death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated" after an expert witness tried and failed to lock himself inside a similar bag.

But Sgt Jim Fetherstonhaugh remained intrigued by what has become known as the “spy in the bag” case and decided to experiment himself.

He got hold of a bag identical to the one used in the case and asked his 16-year-old daughter, Izzie, to climb inside.

They discovered that by drawing the two zips together a gap opened up enabling Izzie to put her hands through the spaces and padlock the zips together.

To completely close the bag, she then stretched out until the bag became taut and the zip closed itself.

Sgt Fethersonhaugh said: “I have always known locking bags like this with a padlock was never secure – it’s just a deterrent, if anything, as you can always get access to the bag by grabbing hold of the material on either side and pulling it apart.

“If you can pull back the zip on the outside then you can do the same from the inside.”

While Izzie is about 3ins shorter than Mr Williams at 5ft 5ins, her father said the method of padlocking the holdall would remain the same.

Sgt Fetherstonhaugh media informed the Met Police via the force’s 101 number but has yet to hear back from them.

“That chap at the inquest said he had tried it 300 times and it was impossible - it’s not,” he said. “Of course it would be more of a hindrance if you’re bigger but it was just to prove you can do it.

During the inquest two experts in confined space rescue or “unusual occurrences” tried and failed to climb into a bag unaided and lock it leading to one concluding that even famed escapologist Harry Houdini would have struggled.

Police investigations are continuing into the case.

This Is Somerset : Army veteran claims to have solved spy in a bag mystery

Army veteran claims to have solved spy in a bag mystery

May 10, 2012

Body in the bag spy Gareth Williams could have easily locked himself inside the holdall in which he died, an Army veteran claimed yesterday.

The inquest into the MI6 agent's death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully attempted to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.

But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 – a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years – discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.

The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.

Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent, based at Cheltenham, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.

The teenager, who at 5ft 5in was 3in shorter than Gareth, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.

She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.

Izzy then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.

But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.

Jim, of Shrewton, Wiltshire, served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.

He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.

He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.

"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drop – it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.

"She is 5ft 5in and he was 5ft8in but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference. She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it. She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in. Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop. I wonder if the services do know this method – but they don't want it known."

A similar technique is known to be used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create 'slack' in the zip. This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.

Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him. A spokesman for the force refused to comment yesterday.

The revelation raises questions over the coroner's findings, which concluded Mr Williams' death "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".

Mr Williams' former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.

Scotland Yard's commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe this week said he has ordered a review of the investigation into the death of Mr Williams.

International Business Times : MI6 Spy In The Bag Gareth Williams: Army Veteran Shows Getting Inside The Sports Bag And Locking Self Is Easy

MI6 Spy In The Bag Gareth Williams: Army Veteran Shows Getting Inside The Sports Bag And Locking Self Is Easy

By Drishya Nair | May 10, 2012

The compelling case of MI6 spy Gareth Williams, found dead and padlocked in a bag in 2010, is yet to be solved. A veteran army officer demonstrated how Williams could have zipped himself inside the sports bag without any help and perhaps been suffocated to death.

A retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery, Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49, says it is not only highly possible that Williams locked himself in the bag without any aid, but it is also a very simple and easy task to perform (including padlocking oneself).

Many MI6 agents, after Williams' death, tried more than 300 times to lock themselves up in similar sports bags but failed.

"The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it. I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it," Fetherstonhaugh said.

But the army veteran claims to have discovered a way in which one can get inside a bag, zip it and even lock it with a padlock, without any assistance.

The technique discovered by Fetherstonhaugh is apparently the reverse of a popular trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together, reports Mail Online.com.

Fetherstonhaugh, after discovering this method, called the police but has got not any response yet.

The ex-army sergeant was intrigued ever since Williams' mysterious circumstances of death hit headlines. To examine his theory, he asked his 16-year-old daughter Izzy to climb inside a similar North Face bag without any assistance.

Izzy, who stands 5ft 5ins (3ins shorter than Gareth) managed to easily fit inside the bag. She could not only draw the zip together but was also able to padlock herself.

The procedure can be carried out much more easily in a bathtub, since the occupant can push against the sides of the tub for assistance.

According to Fetherstonhaugh, when one is in a foetal position in the bag, the height of a person does not make too much of a difference, so the fact that Williams was 3 ins taller than Izzy wouldn't matter much.

"She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference. She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it," the army veteran said.

Now the question arises as to why the experts were unable to do the same. It seems, according to experts, there wasn't enough room to manoeuvre when the bag was kept in the bathtub.

It has been two years since Williams' death and despite extensive investigation, the case does not seem to be getting anywhere.

Police believe that at the time of the 31-year-old's death, a member of either MI6 or GCHQ was in the flat.

At the inquest, coroner Fiona Wilcox told Westministers coroner's court that it was "highly unlikely" that Williams got inside the red holdhall on his own.

There are no foot or fingerprints from the scene of death and fifteen of Williams' colleagues have already been swabbed for DNA samples.

In a recent development in the case, a green towel from a shelf in Williams's kitchen with traces of human residue was found. It could lead to a breakthrough in the case.

Williams' former landlords had reported of an incident at the inquest about how William had once handcuffed himself to a bed alone and needed assistance to free himself later. This points to a possible fetish for restraint that Williams might have harbored.

Telegraph : Woman successfully locks herself in spy holdall

Woman successfully locks herself in spy holdall

A video demonstrating a technique that may have been used by spy Gareth Williams to lock himself into a holdall has been released.

May 9, 2012

Gareth Williams, the spy found dead in a holdall, could have locked himself inside the bag in which he died, an Army veteran has revealed.

The inquest into the MI6 agent's death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully tried to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.

But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 - a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years - discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.

The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.

Reporter Claire Hayhurst from South West News Service applied Mr Fetherstonhaugh's technique and was able to lock herself into an identical North Face bag to the one Mr Williams was found in without assistance.

Ms Hayhurst, who is 4ins shorter than the spy, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.

She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.

She then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.

But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.

Mr Fetherstonhaugh claims that, Mr Williams' taller height would not have made much difference.

He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.

"I've told my friends and showed them and their jaws drop - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.

Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.

A spokesman for the force refused to comment.

Warning: members of the public are warned not to imitate the actions in this video

Daily Mail : Army veteran claims spy-in-bag could easily have locked himself in holdall... and proves it with his 16-year-old daughter

Army veteran claims spy-in-bag could easily have locked himself in holdall... and proves it with his 16-year-old daughter

* Teenager measures 5ft 5ins, just 3ins shorter than MI6 agent Gareth Williams

By Julian Gavaghan | May 9, 2012

Body in the bag spy Gareth Williams could have easily locked himself inside the holdall in which he died, an Army veteran revealed today.

The inquest into the MI6 agent’s death heard how a number of experts unsuccessfully tried to lock themselves inside a bag up to 300 times.

But Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 - a sergeant in the Royal Artillery for 22 years - discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.

The technique is the reverse of a well-known trick used by airport thieves to steal from locked bags, as long as they are flexible and the sides can be pinched together.

Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.

The teenager, who at 5ft 5ins was 3ins shorter than Gareth, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.

She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.

Izzy then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.

But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.

Jim, of Shrewton, Wiltshire, served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.

He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.

He said: ‘The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn’t do it.

‘I’ve told my friends and show them and their jaws drops - it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.

‘She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you’re in the foetal position inside that height doesn’t make much difference.

‘She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn’t have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.

A similar technique is used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create ‘slack’ in the zip.

This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.

However, one of the reasons why other experts said they couldn't zip themselves in bags was because there wasn't enough room to manoeuvre in a bathtub.

Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force’s 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.

A spokesman for the force refused to comment today.

The revelation raises questions over the coroner’s findings, which concluded Mr Williams’ death ‘unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated’.

Mr Williams’ former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.

To test the method, reporter Claire Hayhurst, who is 5ft 4in tall and of slight build similar to Mr Williams, zipped herself into the bag without assistance.

She repeated the task a number of times on video and was eventually able to do it in less than three minutes.

Telegraph : Spy death: It is possible to lock yourself into a bag, claims soldier

Spy death: It is possible to lock yourself into a bag, claims soldier

By Richard Alleyne | May 9, 2012

A coroner concluded that Gareth Williams, the spy found dead in a bag, was probably unlawfully killed because experts were unable to lock themselves into the holdall – despite trying more than 300 times.

But now an amateur has shown that it can be done in a development which could throw the findings into doubt.

Jim Fetherstonhaugh, 49 – a retired sergeant in the Royal Artillery – discovered a simple method by which a holdall can be zipped up and locked from the inside without assistance.

Intrigued by the mysterious case of the MI6 agent Gareth Williams, he asked his daughter Izzy, 16, to climb inside an identical North Face bag to test his theory.

The teenager, who at 5ft 5 ins was 3 ins shorter than Mr Williams, easily fitted inside the bag in the foetal position before partially closing it.

She drew her legs up to her body and was able to draw the two zip pulls together while leaving a gap for her hands to protrude through and close the padlock.

Miss Fetherstonhaugh then tensed her body and the zip simply sealed itself leaving her successfully shut inside the bag holding the key to the padlock.

But crucially, the procedure is said to be much easier in a bath where the occupant of the bag can push against the sides for assistance.

Sgt Fetherstonhaugh, of Shrewton, Wilts., served around the world as a sergeant with the 33 Regiment, Royal Artillery, for 22 years until he retired five years ago and has been a reservist ever since.

He claims that, despite Mr Williams being taller than his daughter, this would not have made much difference.

He said: "The man on TV tried it 300 times and I was amazed he couldn't do it.

"I've told my friends and show them and their jaws drops – it is so obvious, maybe people are thinking too much into it.

"She is 5ft 5 and he was 5ft 8 but when you're in the foetal position inside that height doesn't make much difference.

"She had a bit of a struggle pulling the bag but she wouldn't have been as strong as him. I could easily see that he would be able to do it.

"She did it on the floor and it would have been much easier for him in the bath because he could put pressure on the sides to manoeuvre himself in.

"Once you show people how you do it, their jaws drop. I wonder if the services do know this method – but they don't want it known."

A similar technique is used to steal from locked holdalls, where the end of the bag can be squeezed together to create "slack" in the zip.

This creates enough room for an opening in the zip without unlocking the padlocks.

Mr Fetherstonhaugh contacted the Met Police via the force's 101 number and he was provided with a serial number but they have yet to respond to him.

A spokesman for the force refused to comment.

The revelation raises questions over the coroner's findings, which concluded Mr Williams' death "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated".

Mr Williams' former landlords told the inquest how they once found him handcuffed alone to a bed, suggesting he had a fetish for restraint.

Warning: members of the public are warned not to imitate the actions in this video