Daily Post : Gareth Williams: MI6 spy from Anglesey may have been poisoned says detective

Gareth Williams: MI6 spy from Anglesey may have been poisoned says detective

Former Metropolitan Police murder squad detective Colin Sutton has shared his theory on the death of the Anglesey spy found dead in a holdall

By Rhodri Barker | June 23, 2014

A former senior murder squad detective claims an Anglesey spy whose body was found in a holdall may have been poisoned in a “perfect killing”.

The riddle of Gareth Williams’s death appeared resolved last year after a top-level police probe concluded that he probably died alone in an accident.

But former Metropolitan Police murder squad detective Colin Sutton has now challenged that view with a sensational new theory of his own.

Sutton, who was the most senior detective at the scene on the day of the gruesome discovery almost four years ago, revealed he has lingering doubts about the code-breaker’s death.

His view chimes with that of Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox, who recorded two years ago that Mr Williams was unlawfully killed. Her verdict was later overturned.

Police broke into Mr Williams’s flat in Pimlico in London in August 2010, and found his decomposing remains in a red bag padlocked from the outside.

Mr Sutton has now voiced fears that the flat may well have been "cleaned" of all incriminating traces while any poison in Mr Williams’s system may have been impossible to detect by then.

“The first thing that struck me was how hot it was. It was August yet the heating was on full blast,” he said, recalling arriving on the scene on the day of the discovery.

“It made me think immediately that the heating could have been left on to accelerate the decomposition of Gareth's body.

“If he had been poisoned then the chemical compounds might have vanished by the time toxicology tests were conducted.”

He added: "There is also the possibility that something very unusual and hard to detect was used to poison Gareth. It may seem far fetched but we know that Alexander Litvinenko was killed four years earlier in London with a rare radioactive isotope.

“I remain convinced the flat was tidied up after his death. That may have been to protect national security - or it might have been something more sinister. If that is the case, then it could have been the perfect murder."

Mr Williams, from Valley in Anglesey, was a maths PhD graduate who began working at GCHQ in Cheltenham in 2001.

West End Extra : Westminster paid for inquest into death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams without funding help from government

Westminster paid for inquest into death of MI6 agent Gareth Williams without funding help from government

May 25, 2012

WESTMINSTER City Council got no financial help from the government to cover the cost of the Gareth Williams inquest, thought to have cost many thousands of pounds, City Hall confirmed this week.

It said it footed the bill for the inquest into the death of the Pimlico-based MI6 agent, which concluded earlier this month.

BBC : Profile: MI6 spy Gareth Williams

Profile: MI6 spy Gareth Williams

May 8, 2012

The inquest into the death of MI6 employee Gareth Williams, whose body was found in a padlocked sports bag in his central London flat in August 2010, found that he was "on the balance of probabilities" unlawfully killed.

But what is known about the 31-year-old code-breaker - described by his family as "a very private person"?

Mr Williams, originally from Holyhead, north Wales, worked as a communications officer at government listening post GCHQ, in Cheltenham, but was on a three-year secondment to MI6 in London.

Police officers went to his MI6-owned top-floor flat at 36 Alderney Street - in a part of Pimlico described by a neighbour as "a very mixed area of bankers and politicians" - on Monday 23 August.

They went there after colleagues contacted the police earlier that day saying they had not seen Mr Williams for at least 10 days.

They found his naked body, which had been padlocked inside a zipped-up large red North Face sports holdall, in the empty bath of an ensuite bathroom of the master bedroom.

Police, who have repeatedly said the death remains "suspicious and unexplained", now believe he died in the early hours of Tuesday 16 August.

Mr Williams, a keen cyclist who often took part in road races and time trials, was brought up on the island of Anglesey and attended Bodedern High School.

A talented pupil, he graduated from Bangor University with a first class degree in maths aged 17 after beginning his university studies while at secondary school.

His maths teacher at Bodedern, Geraint Williams, has praised Gareth as an "exceptional" pupil who was "the best logician" he had met.

"If you explained something once to Gareth he remembered it, you didn't have to explain it again," he said.

"It didn't surprise me at all that he was very interested in codes and ciphers and it didn't really surprise me that he was recruited by GCHQ.

"He was definitely going to go into something like that, with his brain."

'Loving son'

Mr Williams went on to study for a postgraduate certificate in mathematics at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, in 2000, but dropped out a year later before taking up the job at GCHQ in Cheltenham.

His boss there has spoken of him as a "world-class" intelligence officer and "something of a prodigy".

Stephen Gale said it was "quite remarkable" that Mr Williams - who joined GCHQ aged 21 - had achieved what he had at such a young age.

Mr Gale said: "Colleagues recall a young man who was very close to his father - he spoke about their climbing trips together.

"They remember him as a keen cyclist. One colleague said it was like a red bullet flying around the place."

In the days after his death, his family described Mr Williams in a statement as a "generous, loving son, brother, and friend" whose loss had devastated them.

They remembered him as "a great athlete" who "loved cycling and music", and as "a very private person".

He often returned home to Anglesey to mother Ellen and father Ian, who works at the Wylfa Nuclear Power Station.

Keith Thompson, of Holyhead Cycling Club - joined by Mr Williams at the age of 17 - said he had last seen the "lovely young man" at a club meeting on Boxing Day.

"We were club mates but Gareth wasn't the sort to go to the pub after a race, so he didn't have any close friends in the group," he said.

And a cyclist at Cambridge University's bicycle club described Mr Williams as "a shy chap" with a "peculiarly memorable laugh and smile".

Mr Williams' uncle, Anglesey councillor William Hughes, meanwhile, said his "very talented" nephew "would never talk about his work - and the family knew not to ask, really".

A neighbour in Pimlico said he and others had never seen Mr Williams, adding: "It's not like you'd tell your neighbours if you were a spy."

Police 'did wrong'

In late December 2010, police revealed some "embarrassing, hurtful and distressing" details about Mr Williams which they said was necessary in the search for evidence.

They said he owned £15,000-worth of unworn women's designer clothing, which were kept in six boxes at his flat, and that he had visited a drag cabaret in east London four days before his death and had tickets to two more.

Police said he occasionally spent between 30 minutes and an hour on bondage sites.

They also said a witness had reported seeing him in a gay bar but that they did not know for certain he was gay.

However, in April 2011 Mr Williams' close friend Sian Lloyd-Jones questioned suggestions his death was linked to his private life and called on police to broaden their inquiry.

She told the police "did wrong" by releasing information about women's clothing "but didn't reveal that there was £10,000 of mountaineering equipment as well".

Ms Lloyd-Jones said he was not gay and the women's clothes were too small for him and may have been intended for her or her sister.

Elizabeth Guthrie - the second friend to appear before the coroner - described her friendship with Mr Williams as based on their mutual love of history, art, Japanese Manga cartoons, travel and humorous anecdotes.

Ms Guthrie remembered his "brilliant sense of humour" and "enormous intellect".

She also said the women's clothing found by police "certainly would not be for him" - that he had no interest in cross-dressing and she believed he was "straight".

Mr Williams' sister, Ceri Subbe, said she believed the items of women's clothing were possibly intended as gifts.

She also told the inquest her brother's enthusiasm about his job had begun to fade.

"He disliked office culture, post-work drinks, flash car competitions and the rat race. He even spoke of friction in the office," her statement said.

Ms Subbe added that Mr Williams had "encountered more red tape than he was comfortable with" in his role.

The inquest into the death of the MI6 officer later heard he was once found tied to his bed by his former landlady in Cheltenham.

Jennifer Elliot said she once found him tied to his bedstead in his boxer shorts in what she thought was a "sexually motivated" act. She said he had called for help when he could not untie himself.

'Dark arts'

Mr Williams returned to his flat - half a mile from MI6 headquarters on the banks of the River Thames - on Wednesday 11 August 2010 after a fly-drive holiday to the west coast of the US.

Police say he had been shopping in London's West End and Knightsbridge areas a number of times since then.

CCTV images captured on Saturday 14 August showed him entering Holland Park tube station at about 1500 BST.

On Sunday 15 August, he went to Harrods after visiting a cash machine and, at about 1430 BST, CCTV images showed him in Hans Crescent, heading towards Sloane Street, near the Dolce & Gabbana store.

A post-mortem examination and toxicology tests - which found no trace of drugs, alcohol or poison - and the police investigation have all failed to establish a cause of death.

Police believe that Mr Williams, whose family think may have been killed by an agent "specialising in the dark arts of the secret services", was helped into the bag.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox said it was unlikely he got into the bag by himself but doubted his death would ever be explained.

Wales Online : Spy Gareth Williams' inquest verdict prompts 'independent investigation call

Spy Gareth Williams' inquest verdict prompts 'independent investigation call

By David Williamson, WalesOnline | May 4, 2012

EVENTS surrounding the death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams and the actions of the Secret Intelligence Service must be independently investigated to protect national security and ensure justice is done, Welsh politicians have claimed.

The coroner’s verdict this week that the 31-year-old codebreaker from Anglesey was “on the balance of probabilities” unlawfully killed has heightened concerns about his death and the investigation following the discovery of his body in a bag in the bath of his London flat.

Former foreign minister and Pontypridd MP Kim Howells said there was now a “very good case” for the Intelligence and Security Committee – of which he is a former chairman – to examine the relationships between the difference agencies involved in the case.

Mr Howells said it was clear there had been “very serious breakdowns in communication” and he wants to know why Mr Williams’ absence from work was not reported earlier.

The coroner said the explanation for the delay began to “stretch bounds of credibility”.

Mr Howell said: “I think we need to be clear about who was responsible and why his absence was not reported... There has been quite clearly a problem of line management here.

“That’s not good enough. It caused the family tremendous grief; it set back the investigation quite seriously.”

Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Elfyn Llwyd demanded an inquiry headed by a high court judge.

It was reported that police strongly suspect a member of MI6 or GCHQ was in his flat the day Mr Williams died and will take DNA samples from up to 50 of his colleagues.

The coroner said on Wednesday that while there was no evidence MI6 was responsible for his death “it is still a legitimate line of inquiry”.

Mr Llwyd described these as “very, very strong words”.

The MP called for greater scrutiny of MI6 and said that the present system of oversight by the Intelligence and Security Committee may no longer be sufficient.

He said: “I’m sure they have the best interests of parliament, the people and government at heart but I think we should be opening it up a little bit more now.”

Deborah Coles, of the campaigning group Inquest, told WalesOnline: “This case demonstrates once again how crucial the inquest process is in holding the state to account and how vital it is that this process is open and transparent. All the more reason why the proposals for inquests to be held behind closed doors, contained in the Government’s Justice and Security green paper, should never be implemented.”

The coroner noted that inquiries had been hampered by breakdowns in communication by her own office, a DNA mix-up by forensics and the late submission of evidence by MI6 to police.

A solicitor representing the relatives of Mr Williams read out a statement saying they were “extremely disappointed” at “total inadequacies” in the probe into the death of their son and brother, who was on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ at the time.

The 21-month investigation has yet to yield a culprit but forensic experts are hoping for a breakthrough from DNA tests on a green towel discovered in his kitchen.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the police investigation, said the inquest had raised “several new lines of inquiry and the investigation will now refocus and actively pursue all the evidence heard and all the new lines of inquiry”.

Former Labour MP Mr Howells said all employers had a “duty of care” to their staff and he would have expected Mr Williams’ managers to be “doubly careful” because of the intelligence-related skills he possessed.

He described the official explanations as “pretty feeble”.

Plaid’s Mr Llwyd said: “I’m afraid it’s not good enough. It insults the family and I think it insults the intelligence of the public.”

National Post : British spy Gareth Williams found dead in his apartment probably unlawfully killed: coroner

British spy Gareth Williams found dead in his apartment probably unlawfully killed: coroner

Agence France-Presse | May 2, 2012

British MI6 spy Gareth WIlliams unlawfully killed says coroner

LONDON — A British spy whose naked body was found padlocked in a bag in his bathtub was probably unlawfully killed, a coroner concluded Wednesday on the final day of the inquest into his death.

But it is “unlikely” that the full circumstances of the death in 2010 of Gareth Williams, a high-flying codebreaker with the MI6 external intelligence agency, will ever be explained, coroner Fiona Wilcox added.

“I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully,” said Wilcox.

She told the inquest she was also “satisfied” that “a third party moved the bag containing Gareth into the bath” of his London flat.

London’s Metropolitan Police said after the hearing that they will review lines of inquiry.

MI6 chief John Sawyers apologized to the family after the inquest, acknowledging that his service should have reported his absence from work to police more quickly.

The inquest heard that experts could not agree how the highly intelligent 31-year-old had died because his body had been decomposing for a week by the time it was discovered.

Pathologists said Williams likely died from poisoning or suffocation.

The hearings focused on whether the mathematician could have locked himself into the holdall as part of a lone sex act, after examination of his computer showed he had visited bondage websites.

But the coroner said it was “highly unlikely” that Williams could have got inside the red North Face holdall alone and observed that the surfaces around the bathtub were strangely clear of any evidence.

“If Gareth had been carrying out some kind of peculiar experiment, he wouldn’t care if he left any foot- or fingerprints,” Wilcox concluded.

The inquest heard last week from experts who had failed to padlock themselves into bags identical to Williams’ red North Face holdall, despite several hundred attempts.

One expert said escapologist Harry Houdini “would have struggled” to pull off the feat.

Wilcox ruled out the possibility that Williams’ apparent interest in bondage had an impact on his death, and observed: “I would have expected much more Internet activity to have been recovered.”

The coroner also questioned leaks of details about Williams’ private life, adding: “I wonder if this was an attempt by some third party to manipulate the evidence.”

Police found women’s clothing worth about $32,400 in Williams’ flat as well as make-up, but Wilcox said there was no evidence to suggest he was a transvestite.

His strong interest in fashion was a much more likely explanation for the presence of the make-up, Wilcox said.

There was some suggestion that his interest in female footwear could have been of a sexual nature, but this was not particularly unusual, she argued.

The coroner said she did not have enough evidence to give a definitive verdict of unlawful killing, and instead delivered a two-hour narrative verdict listing all the possibilities.

After the inquest, Williams’ family hit out at the failures of MI6 to raise the alarm after the spy went missing, saying their “grief is exacerbated” by it.

The family also hit out at the secret services, saying they were “extremely disappointed” at their “reluctance and failure” to make relevant information available to the inquiry.

MI6 failed to report Williams’ disappearance for a week, while police told the inquest they had not been able to examine some of Williams’ possessions including nine memory sticks because his bosses said they were irrelevant.

“The Secret Intelligence Service and GCHQ would like to express once again their deepest condolences to Gareth’s family at their tragic loss,” MI6 chief Sawyers said in a statement.

“Lessons have been learned, in particular the responsibility of all staff to report unaccounted staff absences,” he added.

CNN : British spy in bag was poisoned or suffocated, coroner rules

British spy in bag was poisoned or suffocated, coroner rules

NEW: MI6 chief apologizes "unreservedly" to spy's family for failure to act quickly
Gareth Williams was poisoned or suffocated in the bag in which he was locked, coroner says
The bag containing his naked body was put into a bath by an unknown person, coroner rules
His family calls for an investigation into the secret services' role in the investigation

By Laura Smith-Spark, CNN | May 2, 2012

London (CNN) -- A British spy found dead at his home in 2010 -- his naked body padlocked inside a large red carrying bag stowed in the bathtub -- was either suffocated or poisoned, but it is unlikely his death will ever be satisfactorily explained, coroner Fiona Wilcox said Wednesday.

Gareth Williams' death was "unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated," she ruled.

He probably entered the bag alive, Wilcox said, reading her ruling to a court around the corner from the home of the world's most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

But she was sure an unknown person put the bag containing his body into the bath and probably locked it, she said.

The case has gripped the British public for more than a year and a half, since Williams, an MI6 agent known for his mathematical genius and codebreaking talent, was found dead at age 31 in August 2010.

But after a weeklong inquest at which evidence from hundreds of expert witnesses, security camera images and police interviews was presented, the "most fundamental questions as to how Gareth died remain unanswered," Wilcox said Wednesday.

There was "endless speculation but little real evidence," she said.

And in unusual criticism of the Secret Intelligence Service, as MI6 is formally known, she said a delay in reporting his death and in providing relevant evidence added to the uncertainties about the case. Some of that evidence came to her only in the last 48 hours of the inquiry, Wilcox said.

The coroner appeared briefly overcome with emotion as she came to the end of reading her ruling, her voice faltering as she announced her findings.

The cause of death remains unknown, but experts agreed it was either from suffocation or poisoning, she said. "I am therefore satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Gareth was killed unlawfully," she concluded.

Among the theories aired by UK media were that Williams might have died at the hands of foreign intelligence agents or as a result of a kinky sexual encounter gone wrong, neither of which was supported by the evidence, the coroner said.

She also cast doubt on suggestions that he was into bondage or transvestism, fueled by the discovery of women's clothes, wigs and cosmetics in his apartment, saying she thought Williams bought them out of an interest in fashion, rather than any sexual motivation.

Expressing her sympathies to his family, Wilcox said the inquest could not bring him back, but she hoped it had at least allowed them to see the evidence out in the open.

A lawyer for Williams' family said that losing a much-loved son and brother would have been a tragedy in any circumstances but that the nature of Williams' death had made it all the worse.

"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," he said.

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

The family has called for the Metropolitan Police to review the role of the intelligence services in the investigation.

MI6 head John Sawers apologized "unreservedly" to Williams' family for the service's failure to act more swiftly and said measures have been put in place to make sure it doesn't happen again.

The detective leading the police investigation, Jackie Sebire, said new lines of inquiry had resulted from the inquest and would now be "actively pursued."

"His naked body was found in the most suspicious of circumstances," Sebire said. "It is highly likely that a third party was involved in Gareth's death, and I urge anyone who knew Gareth or who had contact with him to search their conscience and come forward with any information about what happened that night."

Inside the court, a picture emerged of a man who had few friends but was very close to his family, highly intelligent and physically fit thanks to his love of cycling.

A math prodigy who had completed his mathematics degree and master's by the age of 21, he was someone who relished a challenge and had received an award for his "world-class" work for the intelligence services.

Summing up the evidence, Wilcox said it was "extremely unlikely," but not impossible, that Williams had worked out a technique to get into the bag -- measuring just 32 inches by 19 inches (81 by 48 centimeters) -- and lock it from the inside.

But, she said, there was no evidence of footprints or handprints on the walls of the bathroom or the bath itself, as might have been expected if he had done that.

He was not a risk taker, she said, and that made it unlikely in her view that he would have put himself into the bag even as a personal challenge without making sure he could get out.

Of the four keys belonging to the padlock that secured the bag in which Williams was found, one pair was found inside it with him. A second pair was found on a key ring in his apartment, Wilcox said.

There was no sign that evidence had been tampered with, such as traces of bleach. There was also no sign of a break-in or robbery in his neat, tidy apartment, she said.

She described his body as "peaceful" and said there was no indication of a struggle.

Wilcox also said there were no indications that Williams was feeling suicidal.

However, tests that might have revealed unusual or volatile poisons were ruled out by the decomposition of the body. Traces of alcohol and a chemical matching the party drug GHB were found, but both can occur naturally as part of the decomposition process, she said.

British media have reported that Williams' Internet history showed an interest in sex games and bondage, but Wilcox said the codebreaker had made only a handful of visits to bondage sites.

The coroner said there was no evidence of interest in claustrophilia, a fetish for enclosure in very confined spaces.

His apartment contained 20,000 pounds ($32,000) worth of high-fashion women's clothing, unworn and packed as purchased, Wilcox said, but she said she found no connection between his death and his interest in fashion and women's shoes and clothing.

There also was no indication that his death was connected to his work, she said.

He had not taken on any high-risk operations, and he worked only in the UK. There was no evidence of threats arising to him from his work, his employers testified.

Wilcox was highly critical of Williams' line manager, who did not report that he was missing for about a week after he died August 16. She said the inability of the manager to recall certain key bits of evidence concerning the week of Williams' death "is beginning to stretch the bounds of credibility."

When questioned, the manager said he assumed Williams was absent for a legitimate reason that he had forgotten about, even though he missed several meetings. They worked on a small team of four people.

The manager and other SIS employees testified from behind a screen and were identified only as SIS, plus a letter.

Williams was finally reported missing by a co-worker August 23, more than a week after the normally punctilious employee had last shown up at work.

"I can only speculate as to what effect this had on this investigation," Wilcox said.

The decomposition of Williams' body was hastened by the fact it was in a top floor apartment, where the temperature soared in the summer heat. The heating was mysteriously also turned on, despite it being a hot August, she said.

Police did not secure the scene until eight or nine days after Williams died.

Reports about the "body-in-a-bag spy" describe how two experts spent days trying to figure out whether Williams, who was athletic and of medium height, could have contorted himself in such as way as to lock himself into the North Face holdall bag, with a key to the padlock inside.

Video provided to the court shows one of them, Peter Faulding, folding himself laboriously into an identical bag placed in a bathtub.

Faulding, who specializes in rescuing people from confined spaces, told the inquest that he had tried to lock himself into the bag 300 times without success. A second expert witness, also of a size and build similar to Williams, tried 100 times to re-enact the feat without succeeding.

Neither ruled out definitively the possibility that Williams could have somehow done it alone. But a small trace of someone else's DNA was found on the bag, helping spawn all kinds of theories about who else might have been there.

Williams was recruited into the intelligence services straight from university, working with Government Communications Headquarters before MI6. The nature of his work and questions around why his spy agency bosses took so long to raise an alert about his absence have added to the intrigue surrounding his death.

Concerns about national security have been a factor in the 20-month delay in holding Williams' inquest, and an agency more used to working in the shadows has had an uncomfortably bright light shone into its practices.

A series of photographs provided by the Metropolitan Police show the tidy, impersonal interior of the spy's Pimlico home and the small white-tiled bathroom where his body was found.

A bicycle parked in the hallway is a clue to Williams' passion for cycling. A glimpse through a bedroom door shows a bed half-made, clothes lying on it. But little else can be gleaned from the images.

The Metropolitan Police says it is continuing its investigation, particularly in light of the coroner's findings and the concerns raised by his family.

But for now, the identity of the unknown person who apparently put the bag holding Williams into the bath, exactly how he died and the reason why, remain as much a mystery as ever.

CNN's Atika Shubert contributed to this report.

Telegraph : The death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams was 'criminally mediated'

The death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams was 'criminally mediated'

MI6 spy Gareth Williams was unlawfully killed by a third party “on the balance of probabilities” a coroner ruled today.

By Tom Whitehead and Martin Evans | May 2, 2012

In a sensational narrative verdict, Dr Fiona Wilcox said a third party was involved in his death and that is was likely to have been “criminally mediated”.

The coroner had earlier ruled that because of the lack of evidence she could not return a formal verdict of unlawful killing.

But in her narrative she concluded that he was most probably killed.

She said: “I am satisfied so that I am sure that a third party placed the bag (which contained Gareth) in to the bath and on the balance of probabilities locked the bag.

“The cause of death was unnatural and likely to have been criminally mediated.

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

Mr Williams’ naked, decomposing body was discovered in a sports hold all in the bath at his Pimlico flat in London on August 23, 2010.

Dr Wilcox said it was "highly unlikely" that his mysterious death was connected to bondage activities and that he could have died from the effects of "some unknown poison".

"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 or from the effects of some unknown poison."

She acknowledged that Mr Williams, who was found naked in a padlocked bag, had demonstrated a passing sexual interest in bondage, but she did not believe it had been a factor in his death.

Fundamental questions surrounding the death remain unanswered and his "highly unusual" death may never be explained. she said.

She said there had been “endless speculation but little evidence”.

The coroner, sitting at Westminster Coroner’s Court, said the circumstances of the death “immediately raised the possibility of foul play”.

Summing up, Dr Wilcox said despite a two year police investigation and seven days of evidence “most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered”.

“It is unlikely this death will ever be satisfactorily explained.”

The body of Mr Williams, 31, was discovered in a sports holdall in the bath at his Pimlico flat in London on August 23, 2010.

Police have never been able to solve the case but are certain a third party was involved.

Pathologists and confined spaces experts have also concluded that the spy was probably alive when he went in to the bag and died shortly after.

Dr Wilcox said IT experts who examined his computer history found he had only visited bondage websites on four separate dates.

She said there was also no evidence that he had researched claustrophilia – where people gain sexual gratification from being in enclosed spaces.

Dr Wilcox said the amount of internet activity regarding bondage formed a "tiny, tiny, tiny" part of his browser history.

Explaining her reasons for ruling out the involvement of bondage in his death she said in order for Mr Williams to have got into the bag in the bath alone and unaided, he would have left foot and fingerprints around the bath.

Dr Wilcox said she believed if Mr Williams had got into the bath alone he would have taken a knife with him as he was a "scrupulous risk assessor".

In addition she said there was no evidence of semen found in the bag during forensic examination.

Dr Wilcox also said she did not believe the large collection of female clothing pointed to the suggestion he was a transvestite.

Dr Wilcox said £20,000 collection of haute couture clothes were too small for Mr Williams to have worn and were also in their original wrapping. She suggested it was more likely that he had bought the clothes, which included 26 pairs of shoes and boots, as presents.

The hearing was told all three lawyers, representing the family, Met Police and MI6, were agreed that there was insufficient evidence to allow a verdict of unlawful killing.

Dr Wilcox agreed and added that an open verdict “would not do justice to the positive findings that I can make”.

At the conclusion of the inquest, the chief of SIS, Sir John Sawers apologised to Mr Williams' family for the mix-up which saw MI6 fail to report his disappearance for a week.

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

Mr O'Connor said: "On behalf of the whole organisation, Sir John regrets this deeply and apologises unreservedly."

He said "lessons have been learned, in particular the responsibility of all staff to report unaccounted staff absences".

Sir John paid tribute to the spy, saying in the statement: "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."

Mr Williams' family hit out at the failures of MI6 to raise the alarm after the spy went missing, saying their "grief is exacerbated" by it.

In a statement read out by their solicitor after the inquest into his death concluded, they said they were "extremely disappointed" at the secret services' "reluctance and failure" to make relevant information available to the death 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.

The Williams family has waited 21 months to find out how he died and whether someone else was involved. They were moved to tears in court as police, scientists and secret agents all said investigations had drawn a blank.

Jackie Sebire, the lead detective on the case, said Scotland Yard will review lines of inquiry in its investigation in the wake of the inquest.

Added attention could turn on the expert mathematician's colleagues, she indicated.

Police have no suspects in their inquiry but Ms Sebire says she remains convinced Mr Williams' death was suspicious.

Guardian : MI6 spy inquest shown footage of holdall containing his body

MI6 spy inquest shown footage of holdall containing his body

Police video goes from room to room of Gareth Williams's Pimlico home, in which designer women's clothes were found

Press Association | April 24, 2012

Footage of a red holdall containing the curled-up body of MI6 spy Gareth Williams has been shown at the inquest into his death.

Video of the immaculately kept flat where Williams was found was played for the first time on Tuesday.

Police images also showed a cutting from the Observer headlined "Top five regrets of the dying". Forensic scene recordings were played after the detective in charge said she allowed a counter-terror officer into the crime scene.

But SO15 – the only command at Scotland Yard with regular contact with MI6 – was not in charge of the investigation, she said.

Williams's sister, Ceri Subbe, sat in the hearing as images showed the scene that greeted detectives as they arrived at his flat on 23 August 2010.

The video went from room to room of his Pimlico home – showing a woman's red wig, lipstick and makeup – in the condition that it was found.

Footage showed closeup images of the white bathroom suite where 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.

The flat gave an insight into the codebreaker's private life, showing carefully arranged piles of books and an extensive CD collection.

Detectives found the Observer article in the living room near a book by Alan Warner and some of Williams's own paintings.

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

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire said there was little clutter in the flat except for a dressing gown and quilt discarded on the bedroom floor.

Sebire said: "I also found it difficult to explain because of his general tidiness. In my opinion it was not something that was easily explainable."

As the court viewed images of Williams's flat, Sebire detailed the forensic evidence found there, including blood and semen.

The communal front door was secured by a mortice lock and union lock, and a spot of someone else's blood was found in the communal hallway, the inquest heard.

Inside the flat itself, an "old" and "very small" spot of Williams's blood, which could have been from a cut, was found on the carpet near the stairs, Sebire said.

She accepted the blood could have dried over the course of a week.

Two shoe prints detected in his kitchen were too "partial" for the size or wearer to be identified, she went on.

In the larger of his two bathrooms, the only "significant finding" was traces of semen staining on the floor by the sink, which was identified as belonging to Williams, the detective said.

Traces of his semen were also found in the main bedroom, including on his quilt, she added.

Sebire also described the "high value" items found in the flat's smaller bedroom, which included 26 shoes and boots, mainly bearing designer labels such as Christian Louboutin, Stella McCartney, Christian Dior and Chloe; wigs wrapped in net packaging, which "appear to be unused", including one Mr Williams had bought on a recent trip to the US; small and medium-sized female clothing worth an estimated £20,000, all "immaculate" and "in pristine condition" and often in tissue paper; and makeup items including nail varnish and eye shadow that were new and apparently unused.

The only used items appeared to be four pairs of the size six and 6.5 shoes, which was Williams's size, Sebire said.

Asked by the coroner, Fiona Wilcox, whether she thought the clothes would have fitted Williams, the detective replied: "Possibly."

The clothes were found in the holdall and on the bed, she said.

Receipts suggested they had been collected around 2008 and 2009.

Prestwich and Whitefield Guide : Spies given anonymity at inquest

Spies given anonymity at inquest

Press Association | April 23, 2012

Four intelligence agents have been given "public interest" anonymity as the inquest into the "highly controversial" death of an MI6 spy found in a holdall opened.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox said "there will be a real risk of harm" to national security and international relations if some of those giving evidence about Gareth Williams are exposed.

The only confirmed member of GCHQ who can be named is Stephen Gale, Dr Wilcox said.

Evidence began with Dr Wilcox expressing sympathy to family members, who fear "some agency specialising in the dark arts" leaves them with no way of knowing how and why he died.

The naked and decomposing body of Mr Williams, 31, of Anglesey, North Wales, was found in the bath of his home in Pimlico, central London, in August 2010. He was curled up in a large North Face holdall, sealed by a padlock.

Ceri Subbe, Mr Williams's sister, sat with other family members in the wood-panelled courtroom as evidence began.

Ms Wilcox summarised evidence heard in the pre-inquest review, including claims that Mr Williams's death may have been a cover-up by secret services.

She said none of the evidence would be heard behind closed doors despite the "highly controversial" nature of the death, and a screen will protect some of Mr Williams's spy colleagues from being identified to the court.

Scotland Yard has drawn a blank in its attempts to find out how the spy died. A battery of post-mortem tests failed to determine how he died and police originally found it would have been impossible for him to have locked himself inside the bag.

Family lawyer Anthony O'Toole has said the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court must establish why there was no evidence of another person in his London apartment.

Gloucestershire Echo : Death of spy Williams will be discussed

Death of spy Williams will be discussed

March 9, 2012

THE death of Cheltenham spy Gareth Williams is to be discussed at the end of this month.

Yesterday Westminster said the pre-inquest review will be heard on Friday, March 30, at Westminster Coroner's Court.

The former GCHQ codebreaker, who was working for security service M16 while on secondment from the Cheltenham intelligence base, was found naked inside a bag on August 23, 2010, at his flat in London.

It is believed he had been dead for a week.

In February last year an inquiry into the 31-year-old's death was adjourned as Scotland Yard detectives waited for the results of a fresh round of forensic tests.

Counter-terrorism officers had interviewed in the region of 40 of the expert codebreaker's colleagues at GCHQ in Cheltenham as well as at MI6, Westminster Coroner's Court heard at the time.

They were said to have been passing on their findings to a team of investigators from the force's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, who are responsible for the inquiry.

The inquest heard that some or all of them could give evidence about Mr Williams.

He had been just days away from completing a one-year secondment from GCHQ to MI6 in the capital.

The keen cyclist rode with the Cheltenham and County Cycling Club and had worked in the town for 10 years.

Daily Post : Claims building in which Anglesey MI6 spy lived in was broken into

Claims building in which Anglesey MI6 spy lived in was broken into

by Dan Beavan, DPW West | February 20, 2012

SECURITY concerns had been raised in the months before the body of a spy was found in a holdall it has been claimed.

The body of 31-year-old GCHQ code-breaker Gareth Williams, from Valley, Anglesey, was discovered in his London flat in August 2010.

He had been padlocked inside a holdall that was left in an empty bath.

His death appeared a baffling mystery to Met Police.

But according to a leading Sunday newspaper, a source close to Mr Williams has come forward claiming the Pimlico building, where the spy lived in London, was broken into several months before his death, which has apparently not been revealed by the authorities.

According to the source Mr Williams had told him a female occupant on the ground floor flat had asked the spy to swap apartments after hers was broken into.

The property was used by MI6 to house its agents.

A major investigation by the Met Police was launched but has so far failed to establish what led to his death.

Westminster Coroner’s Court has said a pre-inquest review will take place on March 29, with a full inquest to follow three weeks later.

The inquest is expected to last four days.

Evening Standard : Body-in-bag spy's family demand answers from inquest 18 months on

Body-in-bag spy's family demand answers from inquest 18 months on

Kiran Randhawa | February 20, 2012

The family of an MI6 spy found dead in a sports bag are demanding that they are finally told what happened to him.

The badly decomposed body of Gareth Williams, 31, was found 18 months ago in a holdall in the bath of his flat in Pimlico. Although a series of toxicology tests was performed to determine what caused his death, it still remains unexplained.

A pre-inquest review into the case will be held on March 29 at Westminster coroner's court, and a full inquest is expected to begin three weeks later.

Mr Williams's family hope a blanket of secrecy over the case will finally be lifted.
Trefor Lloyd Hughes, a friend of the family, told the Standard: "They need to know what happened to Gareth. I hope we finally get some real answers.

"Let's hope the family can gain some solace at last. They have been in the dark for so long and have no idea what happened to their son.

"They need answers to end their agony. I have no doubt some higher influences will be involved here which may stop certain information from getting through, but I would say the family need peace."

Mr Hughes, 64, a councillor and retired ambulance worker from Holyhead, Anglesey, lived across the road from Mr Williams's parents Ian and Ellen for several years. Their sons grew up together and he remains a good friend of the family.

He added: "It's taken so long for this inquest to come along. I will be really disappointed if further information comes out years down the line that didn't come out during this inquest.

"It will be hard for his parents to go through it, but we are all hoping this will be the end. You do get annoyed they have had to wait this long though. It's absolutely disgraceful."

As many as 40 of Mr Williams's colleagues from GCHQ and MI6 are expected to give evidence at the inquest, although their testimony is likely to be heard in secret to protect their identities.

Police found the cycling enthusiast's naked body zipped and padlocked in a red North Face holdall on August 23 2010 at his flat less than a mile from MI6's headquarters in Vauxhall. There were no signs of a struggle.

The property was used by MI6 as a safe house. Mr Williams, a GCHQ codebreaker on secondment, had not been at work for several days.

Pimlico People : Inquest held in Pimlico spy murder

Inquest held in Pimlico spy murder

By James Mass | February 2, 2012

Almost two years after the mysterious death of Gareth Williams, the MI6 spy whose body was found in a holdall in his Pimlico flat, an inquest is to be finally held.

Having carried out toxicology tests and a prolonged investigation police were unable to form a conclusion on the bizarre case. Dr Fiona Wilcox, the coroner for Westminster, is due to hold the hearing in April. A pre-inquest review will be held on 29th March at Horseferry Road Coroner's Court.

It's been reported that as many as 40 colleagues of the deceased from GCHQ and MI6 will provide evidence.

Mr Williams' badly decomposed body was found on 23rd August 2010 by an officer who was alerted by Williams' sister who anxiously called because she had not heard from her brother in ten days.

This Is Somerset : Spy death inquest dates

Spy death inquest dates

Western Daily Press | January 31, 2012

An inquest into the death of Cheltenham spy Gareth Williams will take place more than 18 months after his body was found locked in a bag at his flat in London.

The body of the GCHQ codebreaker, on secondment to MI6, was found naked inside the bag on August 23, 2010.

It is believed he had been dead for a week. Confirmation was given yesterday that a pre-inquest review will take place in London on March 29.

The Daily Mail has reported that a full inquest is expected three weeks later and said the hearing is expected to call up to 40 of Mr Williams's colleagues from GCHQ and MI6 to give evidence, likely to be heard in secret.

In February last year, an inquiry into the 31-year-old's death was adjourned as Scotland Yard detectives waited for the results of a fresh round of forensic tests.

Counter-terrorism officers had interviewed around 40 of his colleagues at GCHQ in Cheltenham, as well as at MI6, Westminster Coroner's Court heard at the time.

They were said to have been passing findings to investigators from the force's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, which is responsible for the inquiry.

The inquest heard that some or all of them could give evidence about Mr Williams.

At the time of his death, the keen hill-race and time-trial cyclist had been days from completing the one-year secondment from GCHQ in Cheltenham, where he worked for ten years and rented a flat in Bouncers Lane.

This Is Gloucestershire : GCHQ codebreaker death: Evidence may be heard in secret

GCHQ codebreaker death: Evidence may be heard in secret

January 31, 2012

AN inquest into the death of Cheltenham spy Gareth Williams will take place more than 18 months after his body was found locked in a bag in London.

The former GCHQ codebreaker, pictured, who was working for security service M16 while on secondment from the intelligence base, was found naked inside the bag on August 23, 2010, at his flat.

It is believed he had been dead for a week. Confirmation was given yesterday that a pre-inquest review will take place in London on March 29.

The Daily Mail has reported that a full inquest is expected to take place three weeks later.

The paper said the hearing is expected to call up to 40 of Mr Williams's colleagues from GCHQ and MI6 to give evidence, but it also reported that their testimony was likely to be heard in secret to protect their identities.

In February last year an inquiry into the 31-year-old's death was adjourned as Scotland Yard detectives waited for the results of a fresh round of forensic tests.

Counter-terrorism officers had interviewed in the region of 40 of the expert codebreaker's colleagues at GCHQ in Cheltenham as well as at MI6, Westminster Coroner's Court heard at the time.

They were said to have been passing on their findings to a team of investigators from the force's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, who are responsible for the inquiry.

The inquest heard that some or all of them could give evidence about Mr Williams.

He had been just days away from completing a one-year secondment from GCHQ to MI6 in the capital.

He had worked in Cheltenham for 10 years and rented a flat in Bouncers Lane.

A keen cyclist, he regularly rode with the Cheltenham and County Cycling Club.

Fellow club member Don Muir told the Echo people had an enormous amount of respect for Mr Williams as a cyclist.

Speaking to the paper shortly after the GCHQ worker's death, he said: "He has been involved with the club for around eight years, but only became a member in the past couple of years.

"He would turn up, take part in rides, and then go home.

"He didn't really get involved in the social side of the club.

"He took part in hill racing and time trials on the flat and he was good at both.

"It's really quite bizarre and shocking.

"A lot of people who ride with us work for GCHQ and as soon as we find out, we talk about something else because we know they can't speak about it."

There have been a number of conspiracy theories about Mr Williams's death.

Daily Post : Inquest into death of Anglesey MI6 spy Gareth Williams to take place in April

Inquest into death of Anglesey MI6 spy Gareth Williams to take place in April

by Dan Beavan | DPW West | January 31, 2012

THE inquest into the death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams will take place in April.

Codebreaker Mr Williams, 31, from Valley, Anglesey, was found dead locked in a sports bag at his central London flat in August 2010.

A major investigation by the Metropolitan Police has failed to establish what led to his death.

Now Westminster Coroner’s Court has said that a pre-inquest review will take place on March 29, with a full inquest to follow three weeks later.

The inquest is expected to last four days.

It will be held by Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox at Horseferry Road Coroner’s Court in London.

The review will establish who will give evidence and also in what form, with some evidence given “in camera” to protect the identities of Mr Williams’ former colleagues at MI6.

Former Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern pupil Mr Williams was a gifted mathematician who attained a first class degree in maths aged just 17.

He began work at the Government Communications HQ in Cheltenham before being seconded to MI6 for a year.

His death attracted worldwide attention and huge speculation over how he died and if it was linked to his work as a spy with MI6 or his private life.

Daily Mail : Coroner to investigate the riddle of the spy in a bag nearly two years after his death

Coroner to investigate the riddle of the spy in a bag nearly two years after his death

* A hearing into Gareth William's death to be held in April
* His body was found in a padlocked bag in a bath

By Rebecca Camber | January 30, 2012

An inquest into the death of an MI6 spy is to be held nearly two years after his body was discovered in a locked holdall.

The bizarre death of Gareth Williams, who was found in a padlocked bag in the bath of his central London flat, has baffled detectives.

Despite a series of toxicology tests and an exhaustive investigation into the 31-year-old’s background and his movements, police have been unable to establish what led to his death in August 2010.

Now Dr Fiona Wilcox, the coroner for Westminster, has announced she will hold a full hearing into the death of the spy in April.

She will hold a pre-inquest review on March 29 at Horseferry Road Coroner’s Court, with a full inquest expected to begin three weeks later.

The hearing is expected to call as many as 40 of Mr Williams’s colleagues from GCHQ and MI6 to give evidence, although their testimony is likely to be heard in secret to protect their identities.

The spy’s badly decomposed body was found on August 23 at his flat in Pimlico, barely a mile from the headquarters of MI6 in Vauxhall.

The property was used by MI6 as a safe house. Mr Williams, a cycling enthusiast, had not showed up at work for several days. But it was only when his sister rang police from her home in Chester to say she had not heard from him in over ten days that an officer went to the flat.

There he discovered Mr Williams’s naked body zipped and padlocked in a red North Face holdall. There were no signs of a struggle.

On a table were two iPhones, a number of SIM cards and an Apple notebook computer, suggesting that robbery had not been a motive.

There have been a number of conspiracy theories about Mr Williams’s death, including the possibility of an assassination by a foreign power.

Detectives have, however, discounted many of the more lurid suggestions.

At the time of his death, the mathematician had been seconded from GCHQ in Cheltenham to MI6 to work on top-secret computer systems to detect and prevent cyber-attacks on Britain’s banks and infrastructure and eavesdrop on terrorist communications.

Calgary Herald : Inquest may unravel truth of spy in a bag

Inquest may unravel truth of spy in a bag

Killing could be personal or professional

By Patrick Sawer | The Telegraph | January 29, 2012

It remains one of the most baffling mysteries in the history of the secret services.

When the body of an MI6 spy was found locked in a large gym bag in the bath of his apartment in August 2010 it led to a rash of conspiracy theories, from the disturbing to the bizarre.

Nearly 18 months on, police have been unable to establish what led to the death of Gareth Williams, despite toxicology tests and an exhaustive investigation into his background.

But Dr. Fiona Wilcox, the recently-appointed coroner for Westminster, has decided that the time is right to attempt to record the first official account of what happened to the 31-year-old spy.

She will hold a Pre-Inquest Review (PIR) on March 29 at Horseferry Road Coroner's Court. A full inquest will begin three weeks later, probably at a larger venue, and is expected to last three to four days.

The PIR is required to establish who will give evidence and, crucially, in what form. Attending will be a member of Scotland Yard's investigation team and legal representatives of GCHQ and MI6. A solicitor is understood to have been appointed by Williams's parents, Ian and Ellen, to represent his family.

It is expected that some or all of the evidence from as many as 40 of Williams's colleagues will be held "in camera" to protect their identities and the content of their statements.

The spy's badly decomposed body was found on Aug. 23 at his flat in Pimlico.

The property was used by MI6 as a safe house. In what was apparently a secret services in-joke, the building was owned by a British Virgin Islands-registered company called New Rodina, meaning "new motherland" in Russian.

Williams had missed work for several days, but it was only when his sister, Ceri, called police from her home in Chester to say she had not heard from him in more than 10 days, that a constable went to the top-floor apartment.

He made a gruesome discovery. The flat was "spotless," but in the bath was a red holdall from which red liquid was seeping. It had been padlocked.

Inside, the officer found a body so contorted that he initially assumed the "legs and arms had been cut off." There were no signs of a struggle.

On a table were two iPhones, a number of SIM cards and an Apple notebook computer, suggesting it was not a robbery. News of the find - and its description by detectives as "a tidy job" - prompted speculation that Williams had fallen victim to a hit instigated by a foreign power.

Williams, a brilliant mathematician who took a degree course at Bangor university while in his early teens, had been seconded from GCHQ - the government's listening centre in Cheltenham - to MI6 to work on secret computer systems to detect and prevent cyber-attacks on Britain's banks and infrastructure and eavesdrop on terrorist communications.

At the time of his death it is believed he was researching British vulnerability to Russian, Turkish and Chinese gangs - any one of them capable of targeting him.

There was even talk that a couple, who appeared to be Mediterranean and claimed to have a key to his flat weeks before Williams's death, were Mossad agents. Police have been unable to trace the pair.

But in December 2010, Det. Chief Supt. Hamish Campbell, head of Scotland Yard's homicide command, said the killing was not linked to the spy's work, but his private life.

It was disclosed that Williams had viewed websites on bondage and visited gay clubs and detectives turned to the possibility that he died as a result of a sado-masochistic game, perhaps after his partner panicked and fled.

"We are very sure that someone else was in that flat," said Campbell.

Williams's family angrily denied suggestions that he would have behaved in that way. He was known to have attended drag shows and police disclosed that unworn women's dresses and wigs had been found in the wardrobe.

Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, said Williams did "really valuable work with us in the cause of national security."

Some question what it was that he did for "the cause," and if it got him killed.

His family hopes the inquest will help answer that question.

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

Light to be shed on mystery of MI6 spy Gareth Williams' death

Light to be shed on mystery of MI6 spy Gareth Williams' death

An inquest into the death of the spy whose body was found in a locked holdall is set to go ahead this spring, casting light on one of the most baffling mysteries in the recent history of the secret services.

By Patrick Sawer | January 28, 2012

It remains one of the most baffling mysteries in the history of the British secret services.

When the body of an MI6 spy was found locked in a holdall in the bath of his flat, in August 2010, it led to a rash of conspiracy theories, from the disturbing to the downright bizarre.

Nearly 18 months on, police have been unable to establish what led to the death of Gareth Williams, despite a battery of toxicology tests and an exhaustive investigation into his background and his movements.

But Dr Fiona Wilcox, the recently-appointed coroner for Westminster, has decided the time is now right to attempt to record the first official account of what happened to the 31-year-old spy.

She will hold a Pre Inquest Review (PIR) on March 29 at Horseferry Road Coroners Court. A full inquest will begin three weeks later, probably at a larger venue, and is expected to last three to four days.

The PIR is required to establish who will give evidence and, crucially, in what form. Attending will be a member of Scotland Yard's investigation team and legal representatives of GCHQ and MI6.

A solicitor is understood to have been appointed by Mr Williams's parents Ian and Ellen to represent his family.

It is expected that some, if not all, the evidence from as many as 40 of Mr Williams's colleagues will be held 'in camera', to protect their identities and the content of their statements.

The spy's badly-decomposed body was found at 6.30pm on August 23 at his flat in Pimlico, barely a mile from the headquarters of MI6, the Secret Intelligence Services, across the River Thames.

The property was used by MI6 as a safe house. In what was apparently a secret services in-joke, the building was owned by a British Virgin Islands-registered company called New Rodina, meaning 'new motherland' in Russian.

Mr Williams had not showed up at work for several days. But it was only when his sister Ceri, a physiotherapist, rang police from her home in Chester to say she had not heard from him in over 10 days, that a constable went to the top-floor flat in Alderney Street.

Here he made a gruesome discovery.

The flat was "spotless". But in the bath was a red North Face holdall from which red liquid was seeping. It had been padlocked.

Inside the officer found a body so contorted that he initially assumed the "legs and arms had been cut off". There were no signs of a struggle.

On a table were two iPhones, a number of SIM cards and an Apple notebook computer, suggesting it was not a robbery.

News of the find – and its description by detectives as "a tidy job" – prompted speculation that Mr Williams had fallen victim to a hit instigated by a foreign power.

Mr Williams, a brilliant mathematician who took a degree course at Bangor university while in his early teens, had been seconded from GCHQ – the government's listening centre in Cheltenham – to MI6, to work on top-secret computer systems to detect and prevent cyber-attacks on Britain's banks and infrastructure and eavesdrop on terrorist communications.

At the time of his death he was understood to be researching British vulnerability to Russian, Turkish and Chinese gangs - any one of them capable of targeting him.

There was even talk that a couple of Mediterranean appearance who visited his block and claimed to have a key to his flat weeks before Mr Williams's death were Mossad agents. Police have never been able to trace the pair.

But towards the end of December 2010 Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, head of Scotland Yard's homicide command, felt confident enough to discount a spy-on-spy killing, stating: "This is not linked to his work – it's his private life."

Scotland Yard revealed that Mr Williams's iPhone was used to visit websites on bondage. He had been to a drag show and had tickets to further shows at a gay club.

Detectives from Operation Finlayson became convinced he could not have locked himself inside the holdall and turned to the possibility that he died as a result of a sadomasochistic game, perhaps after his partner panicked and fled.

DCS Campbell admitted police had been unable to trace any sexual partners of Mr Williams, but added: "We are very sure that someone else was in that flat."

Mr Williams's family angrily denied suggestions that he would have behaved in that way.

When police revealed that unworn women's dresses and wigs had been found in the wardrobe, Sian Lloyd-Jones, a fashion stylist and close friend of the victim, came forward to state that they must have been presents for her and Ceri.

The first post-mortem by Home Office pathologist Dr Ben Swift, together with toxicology tests, proved inconclusive. His account to the inquest is likely to be frustratingly sketchy.

Mr Williams now lies buried in a cemetery near his parents' home in Valley, on Anglesey, overlooking the hills where he loved to cycle with his father.

His gravestone, inscribed in Welsh, reads: "In loving memory of Gareth Williams, mathematician, a special son and brother. Free to run in the mountains."

Attending his funeral at the Bethel Chapel in Holyhead, Sir John Sawers, the head of MI6, said: "Gareth was a hugely talented person, and he was very modest and generous as well.

"He did really valuable work with us in the cause of national security."

That statement left hanging in the air the question of what precisely it was that Mr Williams did for "the cause", and was it enough to get him killed?

His family hope the forthcoming inquest will go some way towards answering that nagging question.

Daily Post : MI6 spy death probe continues

MI6 spy death probe continues

by Dan Beavan, DPW West | August 24, 2011

POLICE are still investigating the death of MI6 spy Gareth Williams – a year after his body was found locked in a sports bag in his flat.

Codebreaker Mr Williams, 31, from Valley, Anglesey, was discovered at his central London flat 12 months ago.

Mystery still surrounds the death with detectives saying his private life remains the main focus of the investigation, which they say is active.

Twelve months on Mr Williams' death remains suspicious and unexplained.

A date for his inquest has still not been set although sources say it will take place before Christmas and last several weeks.

Former Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern pupil Mr Williams was a gifted mathematician who attained a first class degree in maths aged just 17.

He began work at the Government Communications Headquarters in Cheltenham before being seconded to MI6 for a year.