Holyhead and Anglesey Mail : Spy Gareth Williams probably killed unlawfully but death remains a mystery

Spy Gareth Williams probably killed unlawfully but death remains a mystery

by Owen R Hughes, Bangor and Anglesey Mail | May 9, 2012

THE family of a spy “probably killed unlawfully” said their “grief is exacerbated” by MI6’s failure to raise the alarm after he went missing.

In a statement read out by their solicitor after the inquest, the family of Gareth Williams, from Valley, said they were “extremely disappointed” at the secret services’ “reluctance and failure” to make relevant information available to the inquiry.

They also attacked the “total inadequacies” of the inquiry by Metropolitan Police counter-terror branch SO15 into MI6 and called on Scotland Yard’s chief to look into how the investigation would proceed in light of this.

Reading the statement on behalf of the 31 year old’s parents, Ian and Ellen Williams, and sister Ceri Subbe, lawyer Robyn Williams said: “To lose a son and a brother at any time is a tragedy. To lose a son and brother in such circumstances as have been outlined during the course of this inquest only compounds the tragedy.
Click here to find out more!

“Our grief is exacerbated by the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries as to his whereabouts and welfare, which any reasonable employer would have taken.

“We are also extremely disappointed at the reluctance and failure of MI6 to make available relevant information.”

They described the brilliant code-breaker as a “special and adored son and brother” who they missed “every single day”.

Gareth’s naked body was found in a padlocked bag in the bath at his flat in London. He was thought to have been there a week.

He had been seconded to work at the M16 headquarters from GCHQ, the government listening station in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

At the inquest into his death last week, coroner Fiona Wilcox said his death may forever remain a mystery despite a 21 month police probe plagued by blunders.

In a narrative verdict, she said: “The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated. I am therefore satisfied that on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully.”

Mr Williams, of Valley, Anglesey, was suffocated by carbon dioxide, possibly as an onset of a short-acting poison, the coroner suggested.

MI6 apologised for failures in raising the alarm about his disappearance earlier as Dr Wilcox said several factors hampered inquiries. Breakdowns in communication by her own coroner’s office in ordering a second post-mortem examination, a DNA mix-up by forensics and late submission of evidence by MI6 to police were singled out.

Dr Wilcox also questioned why details of Mr Williams’s private life – that heaped embarrassment on his family – were leaked to the press.

She found it “highly unlikely” that Mr Williams got inside his North Face holdall alone, saying: “If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn’t care if he left any foot or fingerprints.”

Independent : Spy Gareth Williams was probably the victim of a 'criminally mediated' unlawful killing

Spy Gareth Williams was probably the victim of a 'criminally mediated' unlawful killing

Kim Sengupta | May 3, 2012

Gareth Williams, the MI6 officer whose naked body was found in a padlocked bag, was probably the victim of a “criminally mediated” unlawful killing in which poison may have been used. That was the verdict reached yesterday at the end of a highly charged inquest into the death marked by accusations of an official cover up.

The discovery of 31 year old Mr Williams’ body, in a North Face holdall, in the en-suite bath of his flat in Alderney Street, Pimlico, south west London, due to his profession as an intelligence cypher expert had resulted in international interest and speculation about what happened.

The conclusion reached yesterday by coroner, Dr Fiona Wilcox, effectively pointed towards murder by a “third party” who had apparently managed to eliminate any evidence of their complicity. However, because of a series of blunders, one of the most high profile murder investigations in recent times may never be solved.

“It is unlikely this death will ever be satisfactorily explained” Dr Wilcox, told a packed hearing with Mr Williams’ family, representatives of intelligence services, and senior Scotland Yard officers among those attending. “Most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered”.

She continued: "I find it more likely than not that Gareth entered the bag alive and then died very soon afterwards either from the toxic effects of carbon dioxide and heat before he was able to make a concerted effort to escape from some unknown poison dioxide and heat. “I am satisfied so that I am sure that a third party on the balance of probabilities locked the bag placed the bag in to the bath where it was found.”

The Coroner maintained that it remained a "legitimate line of inquiry" that the intelligence services were involved in the death of 31 year old Mr Williams, who was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ at the time, although she stressed "there was no evidence to support that he died at the hands” of a government agency.

But there had been repeated revelations of shortcomings in the inquiry and this week Westminster Coroner’s Court heard that potentially critical evidence, including nine memory sticks belonging to Mr Williams and a bag of the same make in which he was found, was only handed to police this week, 21 months after his killing in August 2010.

Dr Wilcox had been particularly severe in her criticism of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism command (SO15) which had been tasked with liaising between the murder squad and MI6. At one stage she accused a senior officer, Detective Superintendent Michael Broster of collusion with MI6 and “not being impartial” in the case.

The inquest had also heard that Mr Williams’ immediate superior at the intelligence service did not raise an alert for seven days after he had failed to turn up for work and basic procedures in such a situation were not adhered to. The resulting delay of seven days, decomposition of the body in the Summer heat, enclosed in a holdall, meant that vital forensic evidence was lost and Mr Williams’ parents could not view their dead son.

At the end of proceedings the inquest heard an unprecedented personal apology from Sir John Sawers, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service [MI6] to Mr Williams’ family.

In a statement Sir John acknowledged that the “Service’s failure to act more swiftly when Gareth first became absent from work has contributed to the anguish and suffering of his family.

“On behalf of the whole organisation, we regret this deeply and apologise unreservedly. Lessons have been learned, in particular the responsibility of all staff to report unaccounted staff absences".

Sir John continued: "Gareth Williams was a man of remarkable talents, talents which he devoted to public service. The work that Gareth undertook during his career both at Cheltenham and London made a real contribution to the security of this country and of its citizens. Gareth continues to be mourned by his friends and colleagues."

Members of Mr Williams’ family, in particular his mother, had been unable to sit through some of the more harrowing evidence. Yesterday, in a statement read out by their solicitor, Robyn Williams, they said, "To lose a son and brother in such circumstances as have been outlined during the course of this inquest only compounds the tragedy.

"Our grief is exacerbated by the failure of his employers at MI6 to take even the most basic inquiries as to his whereabouts and welfare, which any reasonable employer would have taken. We are also extremely disappointed at the reluctance and failure of MI6 to make available relevant information.

"We would like to ask Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe to look into and review how this investigation will proceed in light of the total inadequacies of the SO15 investigation into MI6 during the course of this inquiry."

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sabire, in charge of the team investigating Mr Williams death, said” "I've always been satisfied a third party may have been involved in his death and the coroner has confirmed that in her finding today. "The inquest has raised several new lines of inquiry and the investigation will refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard and all the new lines of inquiry. I urge anyone who knew Mr Williams or had contact with him to search their conscience and come forward with any information about what had happened.”

BBC : MI6 death: Gareth Williams 'probably' killed unlawfully

MI6 death: Gareth Williams 'probably' killed unlawfully

May 2, 2012

MI6 officer Gareth Williams was "on the balance of probabilities" unlawfully killed, coroner Fiona Wilcox has said.

In a narrative verdict, she said it was unlikely he got into the bag his body was found in by himself, but doubted his death would ever be explained.

The 31-year-old code-breaker from Anglesey was found at his central London flat in August 2010.

Police say the investigation remains open and officers would be re-examining evidence gathered.

The naked body of Mr Williams was found padlocked in a red sports holdall in the bath of his home.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt said: "We are already undertaking actions in order to develop existing DNA profiles, to trace unidentified individuals who may have information about Gareth's death and to further develop analysis of telephone communications."

Speaking outside Westminster Coroner's Court after the inquest, Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire, who is leading the inquiry, said Scotland Yard "will now refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard and all the new lines of inquiry.

"His naked body was found in the most suspicious of circumstances. It's highly likely that a third party was involved in Gareth's death and I urge anyone who knows Gareth and who had contact with him to search their conscience and come forward with any information."

Family solicitor Robyn Williams said their "grief is exacerbated by the failure of his employers... to take even the most basic inquiries about his whereabouts and welfare".

By the time police were alerted to the code-breaker's disappearance on 23 August 2010, he had not been at work for a week and there was extensive decomposition of his body.

MI6 chief Sir John Sawers apologised "unreservedly" to Mr Williams' family for its "failure to act more swiftly".

"The lessons have been learned, in particular the responsibility of all staff to report unaccounted staff absences," he said in a statement.

Responding to the family's criticism an MI6 spokesman said: "We fully co-operated with the police and will continue to do so during the on-going investigation. We gave all the evidence to the police when they wanted it. At no time did we withhold any evidence."

In her summing up, the coroner said: "Most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered."

But, she said, she was "satisfied so that I'm sure that a third party moved the bag containing Gareth into the bath" where his body was found.

"The cause of his death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated," she added.

"I am therefore satisfied that on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully."

The coroner also criticised the Met's SO15 counter-terror branch for the way it handled Mr Williams' work phone and other exhibits. She said the evidence of his line manager on why the absence was not reported sooner "begins to stretch bounds of credibility".

Mr Williams' sister revealed to the inquest that Mr Williams was unhappy living in London and had complained to family of "friction" at the intelligence agency.

And his family have said they believe he may have been killed by an agent "specialising in the dark arts of the secret services".

Dr Wilcox said that while there was no evidence to suggest he died at the hands of MI6 "it is still a legitimate line of inquiry".

She said "it would appear that many agencies fell short".

During the investigation Scotland Yard were not able to speak to Mr Williams' MI6 colleagues directly.

The coroner also identified breakdowns in communication by her own office in ordering a second post-mortem examination, a DNA mix-up by forensics and the late submission of evidence by MI6 to police.

But she added that "taking all these shortfalls together, I am satisfied that the evidence is reliable".

'Risk assessor'

Dr Wilcox said the "highly unusual circumstances" of Mr Williams' death had immediately raised the possibility of foul play however, which had prompted "endless speculation".

On Mr Williams' accessing of bondage websites, she said: "Clearly experimenting with bondage would involve danger."

But the coroner ruled his interest in bondage and drag queens did not have any bearing on his death, and she questioned whether leaks about his private life to the press "was an attempt by some third party to manipulate the evidence".

Dr Wilcox said no indication of a suicidal intent had been presented.

Bag experts have said even Harry Houdini would have struggled to lock himself in the bag.

Dr Wilcox said it was extremely unlikely Mr Williams found a technique to lock and get out of the bag himself, but she could not rule it out. She suggested if Mr Williams had locked himself into the bag he would have taken a knife with him, as he was a "risk assessor".

The lack of hand and footprints in the bathroom of his Pimlico flat was "significant", Dr Wilcox added.

"If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn't care if he left any foot or fingerprints."

The inquest heard from three pathologists who had conducted post-mortem examinations on Mr Williams and who had been unable to reach a firm conclusion on cause of death. But they say poisoning and asphyxiation are the most likely reasons.

Dr Wilcox said she decided to deliver a narrative verdict as an open verdict would not do justice to the case.

A narrative verdict has been an option for coroners in England and Wales since 2004 and is where the circumstances of a death are recorded without attributing the cause to a named individual.

~~~~~

What the evidence tells us:

INJURIES: Nine days passed between the death of Gareth Williams and his post-mortem examination. His body had become badly decomposed, making the work of pathologists and toxicologists difficult. Dr Benjamin Swift only found small injuries on Mr Williams, which could have been the result of accidents. He noted that poison or asphyxiation were the most likely causes of death. Toxicologists said some substances, such as cyanide, chloroform and anaesthetic agents, would not have been detectable.

THE LOCKED BAG RIDDLE: One key question before the inquest was whether Mr Williams had locked himself in the bag. Expert witness Peter Faulding [...] said that he had tried and failed to lock the bag from inside 300 times. "I couldn't say it's impossible, but I think even Houdini would have struggled with this one," he said. William MacKay, another expert witness, said that he and an assistant had failed in more than 100 attempts to lock the bag from inside - but couldn’t rule out that Mr Williams had been able to.

INSIDE THE BAG: Did Mr Williams die inside the bag? Pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd said: "The balance of probability is that Gareth was alive when he got in the bag.” He added: "I think there could have been a period of awareness that he needed to get out. The length of time might have been short." But Mr Faulding said he believed that Mr Williams was dead or unconscious before being placed in the bag. He suggested it would have been possible to shut Mr Williams in the holdall as long as rigor mortis had not set in.

WEBSITES AND SMARTPHONES: As part of the inquest, Mr Williams' computers and phones were examined. Detectives said the computers had been used to visit bondage websites. But, the inquest heard, this did not necessarily suggest an ongoing interest in such sites. Mr Williams' phones also had bondage websites in their browser history, while a smartphone found on a table contained no data because its factory settings had been restored.

WOMEN'S CLOTHES: Shoes and women’s designer clothing valued at £20,000 were found in the flat. Detectives also said that about half of the internet use on Mr Williams' computers had been in the area of women's high fashion, including handbags, cosmetics, belts and gloves. Friends and family members said they did not believe the clothes were for Mr Williams, but were probably intended as gifts. Friend Elizabeth Guthrie told the inquest Mr Williams had no interest in cross-dressing and she believed he was "straight".

Guardian : Gareth Williams's death was 'criminally mediated', says coroner

Gareth Williams's death was 'criminally mediated', says coroner

Fiona Wilcox says there was not enough evidence for unlawful killing verdict, as MI6 officer's family urge Met police to review investigation

Caroline Davies, James Meikle and agencies | May 2, 2012

The death of Gareth Williams, the MI6 officer who was found naked in a padlocked holdall in the bath at his London flat, was "criminally mediated", a coroner has said.

On the balance of probability, Williams was "unlawfully killed", Fiona Wilcox concluded, although she had earlier said there was not enough evidence to deliver a formal unlawful killing verdict.

Wilcox's finding was delivered at the end of a narrative verdict that took her two hours to deliver and in which she criticised the behaviour of MI6 and SO15, the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism unit, whose officer operated as a conduit between the intelligence service and detectives investigating Williams's death.

The head of the intelligence service made an unreserved apology to Williams's family over the delay in reporting him missing and the subsequent anguish it caused.

Wilcox, the Westminster coroner, delivered the finding after starting her verdict by saying that it was unlikely Williams's death would ever be satisfactorily explained.

Most of the fundamental questions of how he died remained unanswered, Wilcox said on the eighth day of the inquest.

After the verdict Williams's family, in a statement read out by their solicitor Robyn Williams, said their grief at Gareth's death had "been exacerbated by the failure of his employers to make even the most basic inquiries into his whereabouts and welfare".

The statement continued: "We are extremely disappointed at the reluctance and failure of MI6 to make available relevant information."

The family would be asking the Metropolitan police commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, to review how the investigation into Williams's death should proceed given the "inadequacy" of SO15's investigation as highlighted at the inquest.

DCI Jackie Sebire, from the Met's homicide and serious crime command, said officers were now following the many new lines of inquiry which had emerged during the inquest. Refusing to take questions about the criticism levelled at the role of the counter terrorist officers assigned to liaise with MI6, Sebire said: "We have heard seven days' worth of evidence of the life and death of Gareth this week. I have always been satisfied that a third party may have been involved in his death and the coroner has confirmed that."

The investigation would refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard and all the new lines of inquiry. William's body was found "in the most suspicious circumstances", Sabire said.

"It is highly likely that a third party was involved and I urge anyone who knows Gareth who had contact with him to search their consciences and come foward with any information about what happened that night, 16 August 2010.

"We would also ask anyone with any information to please come forward … to give Gareth's family some peace and allow them to grieve and move on."

During her verdict, Wilcox rejected "suicidal intent", interest in bondage or cross-dressing, or "auto-erotic activity" being related to Williams's death.

Williams, 31, a codes and ciphers expert, was about to return to GCHQ in Cheltenham after secondment to MI6 in the capital when his body was found in the flat in Pimlico in August 2010.

It emerged on Tuesday, towards the end of seven days of evidence from 39 witnesses, that memory sticks found among his possessions were examined by the Secret Intelligence Service but never handed over to detectives investigating his murder.

Wilcox said it remained a "legitimate line of inquiry" that the secret services were involved in Williams's death as she criticised "shortfalls" in MI6 passing on evidence to Scotland Yard. But there was no evidence that he died at the hands of spies.

"It would appear that many agencies fell short" during the investigation, Wilcox said, identifying breakdowns in communication by her own office in ordering a second postmortem, a DNA mix-up by forensics and the late submission of evidence by MI6 to police.

But the coroner added that "taking all these shortfalls together, I am satisfied that the evidence is reliable and that we do not have to adjourn at this point".

Wilcox said the "highly unusual circumstances" of Williams's death had immediately raised the possibility of foul play, which had prompted "endless speculation".

Williams's colleagues were interviewed but no formal statements were taken, she noted.

"I find that this did affect the quality of the evidence that was heard before this court," she said. Wilcox had almost adjourned the inquest due to late evidence, the fault of the SO15 counter-terrorism officer who was the conduit between MI6 and the police. The officer should have passed on an inventory of items found at Williams's MI6 office, said Wilcox.

Evidence from the office was important because Williams "didn't socialise much" and was a reason DNA had been taken from some work colleagues.

Wilcox said she found it "highly unlikely" that Williams got inside the bag alone, saying a lack of hand and footprints in the bathroom was significant. "In relation to the prints found within the bathroom, in my view what was more significant was what was not found rather than what was found."

A lot of time and resources had been spent during the investigation looking into a swab taken from Williams's left hand that appeared to indicate third-party involvement.

But the sample "unfortunately" was later found to belong to a forensic scientist working on the case, she said. "If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn't care if he left any foot or fingerprints."

Wilcox appeared to rule out that Williams died as a result of some kind of "auto-erotic activity", also denying there was any evidence to suggest claustrophilia – the love of enclosed spaces – was of any interest to him.

She also dismissed the idea that an interest in bondage had any link to his death. If it had, she would have expected "much more internet activity" on the web. Williams had only visited sites on four days, she said. He was a "scrupulous risk assessor" and would have had a knife to escape.

Rejecting speculation that he was a "transvestite" spy, Wilcox said leaks that William was a "cross-dresser" could have been an attempt "by some third party to manipulate a section of the evidence".

Makeup found in his flat was more likely to reflect his interest in fashion, she argued. Wigs found there were "far more consistent with dress-up such as attendance at a manga conference", she added.

Williams's interest in female footwear could have been of a sexual nature, but this was not unusual. "Gareth was naked in a bag when he was found, not cross-dressed, not in high-heeled shoes," she said.

Williams's body was not discovered until a week after he died. Wilcox said his line manager had done "nothing effective" to establish his whereabouts when he was missing. She said she could only speculate as to what effect not reporting him missing sooner had had on the investigation.

Despite '"lots of speculation", there was no evidence Williams's death was linked to his work, she said.

His death was of "unnatural cause", she said. It was possible, but unlikely, that Williams had died in the bag when it was outside the bathroom, but she believed he was alive when he entered the bag and accepted the pathologist's evidence that suffocation or poisoning was the probable cause of death.

She was satisfied "so I am sure" that a third party had moved the bag containing Williams into the bath. There were two possible explanations: that Williams entered the bag outside his bathroom, and the bag was carried in there by a third party, or that he was locked in the bag by a third party and that was lifted into the bath.

Wilcox had earlier ruled out a formal "unlawful killing" verdict because the evidence available was not of the criminal standard needed for such a verdict. She also said an open verdict would not do justice to the "positive findings" she could make.

John Sawers, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, expressed the "deepest condolences" of MI6 and GCHQ for the death.

In a statement delivered by MI6 lawyer Andrew O'Connor, Sawers said the service should have acted more swiftly when Mr Williams failed to turn up to work in August 2010.

He said: "On behalf of the whole organisation, Sawers regrets this deeply and apologises unreservedly."

The MI6 chief added: "lessons have been learned, in particular the responsibility of all staff to report unaccounted staff absences".

Telegraph : Family of Gareth Williams call for police review of case

Family of Gareth Williams call for police review of case

The family of Gareth Williams, the MI6 spy found dead in padlocked bag, have called for Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe to review the case in the light of the failings of the counter-terrorism unit SO15.

By Martin Evans and Tom Whitehead | May 2, 2012

In a statement issued shortly after the coroner in the case Dr Fiona Wilcox had delivered her narrative verdict, Mr Williams’s parents Ian and Ellen and sister Ceri, also criticised MI6 for mistakes they had made during the investigation.

The inquest, which lasted eight days, heard how members of SO15 had failed to seize certain items of potentially crucial evidence and had carried out inadequate searches at Mr Williams’ workplace.

His employer had also failed to alert anyone of his disappearance for a week.

The statement, in both Welsh and English, was read outside Westminster Coroner’s Court by the family solicitor Robyn Williams.

He said: “To lose a son and brother at any time is a tragedy. To lose and son and brother in such circumstances as have been outlined here, only compound the tragedy.

“Our grief is exacerbated by the failures of his employers MI6 to make even the most basic of inquiries as to his well being and welfare.”

The statement went on: “We are also extremely disappointed by the failure and reluctance of MI6 to make available relevant information.

“We would call on the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mr Hogan-Howe to look into and review how the investigation will proceed in the light of the total inadequacies of SO15’s investigation into MI6.”

The family also thanked DCI Jackie Sebire who led the police investigation for the thoroughness with which she approached the case.

The statement concluded: “Gareth was and always will be a special and adored son and brother. We miss him every single day and cannot describe the depth of the sorrow his absence leaves in our lives.

"We love you Gareth and will treasure your memory eternally. To live on in the hearts of those you leave behind is not to die.”