Mirror : Spy in a bag Gareth Williams: Six reasons why doubts persist and the theories behind his death

Spy in a bag Gareth Williams: Six reasons why doubts persist and the theories behind his death

November 13, 2013

Expert Peter Faulding, who specialises in rescuing people from confined spaces, made 300 unsuccessful attempts to lock himself inside an identical bag

Key points which seem to contradict police claims the death was probably just an accident:

1. Expert Peter Faulding, who specialises in rescuing people from confined spaces, made 300 unsuccessful attempts to lock himself inside an identical bag.

He said it was ‘unbelievable’ that Gareth could have got in it on his own. Another expert, William MacKay, and a yoga-practising assistant made more than 100 attempts at it without success.

2. Police were previously looking for other people and released an e-fit of a man and woman seen near Gareth’s flat in July 2010.

3. Last year, Coroner Fiona Wilcox ruled that “on the balance of probabilities” Gareth was unlawfully killed and it was unlikely he got in the bag by himself.

4. Three pathologists told the inquest that poisoning and asphyxiation were the most likely reasons for his death. But postmortems were inconclusive.

5. None of Gareth’s DNA was found on the padlock and there was no evidence of his palm prints on the bath. Up to 15 unidentified DNA samples were found in the flat.

6. The flat had been locked from the outside when police arrived at the scene. No sign of forced entry could be found, but doors and locks had been removed by the time police experts arrived.

The theories: Was it a Russian hit?

Kremlin assassins

Russian agents could have killed Gareth in connection with his work examining the flow of money from Russia to Europe.

Their secret services had already struck at the heart of Britain. In 2006 Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-Russian agent who fled to London, was poisoned with radioactive polonium.

In 2007 a gunman from Russia was arrested at the Park Lane Hilton on a mission to murder oligarch Boris Berezovsky. He and Litvinenko were critics of President Vladimir Putin.

A couple seen on CCTV near Gareth’s flat have never been found despite police issuing e-fit photos.

Double agent

Gareth may have been betrayed by a British double agent who revealed his identity to foreign assassins.

The brilliant young mathematician would have been a high-value target. He was one of just a handful of spies launching effective counter-attacks to stop enemy computer hackers finding out British Government secrets.

Gay lover

He may have been killed to cover up a gay relationship with an MI6 spy who had a family and a career to lose if the truth came out.

Gareth had reportedly been spotted before his death frequenting a popular gay area of Vauxhall in London. If his lover had felt threatened that the affair would be exposed to MI6 bosses, he may have killed Gareth.

The evidence could then have been hidden by the secret service to prevent any further embarrassment for Britain’s intelligence community.

Fetish gone wrong

Despite evidence to the contrary at his inquest, another theory is that he got in the bag on his own, zipped it up and then padlocked it on the outside as part of an escapology fetish. Then he may have suffocated after becoming trapped.

There is evidence to suggest Gareth liked to be tied up as part of a game.

He was once discovered by a former landlady in Cheltenham tied to his bedposts wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. Gareth had to ask to be freed from the bed.

Daily Mail : Body of MI6 spy had been padlocked into a sports bag in bath

Body of MI6 spy had been padlocked into a sports bag in bath

By Charlotte Gill | September 1, 2010

The body of murdered MI6 spy Gareth Williams had been padlocked into a sports holdall in his ensuite bathroom, an inquest heard yesterday.

Police went to his flat and found him dead in the bag in the bath after being asked to check on his 'welfare' because he had not been seen at work.

Coroner Dr Paul Knapman said that the 31-year-old's body would not be released for at least a week while further tests are carried out to ascertain how he met his death.

The first post mortem failed to find a cause of death and police now await the results of toxicology tests which can take weeks.

Detectives hope they will reveal whether the cipher and codes expert was drugged, poisoned or smothered or if alcohol was in his system.

A second 'examination of the body' was conducted earlier this week.

Pathologists are thought to be searching for any evidence which would suggest a professional 'hit' and have been scrutinising the area around his neck.

A seasoned assassin may be able to inflict a 'discreet' neck wound that could kill even though it would not look as obvious as a snapped neck.

Another possibility is that Mr Williams was injected with a deadly toxin.

The inquest at the City of Westminster Coroner's Court heard that Mr Williams's body was in an 'advanced state of decay' and was identified through a photograph provided by his family.

Dr Knapman said: 'On Monday August 23rd, police were called to check on the welfare of Gareth Williams at his home address as he had not been seen at work.

'At about 6.30pm that evening I understand police entered the premises. They found a large holdall in the bath in the ensuite bathroom of the main bedroom. The holdall was padlocked shut and inside was a lifeless body.'

He said the post-mortem examination carried out failed to establish a cause of death.

No members of Mr Williams's family, who live in Anglesey, North Wales, were in court yesterday but coroner's officer Kim Bedwell said they were aware of the inquest being opened.

She described Mr Williams's occupation as 'civil servant' and said he was single.

Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Sebire, who is leading the police investigation, appealed for anyone who knew Mr Williams or had seen him in the weeks before he died to contact police.

The cycling fanatic was in London from August 11 and the last confirmed sighting of him was on August 15, eight days before his body was found in his £400,000 flat in Pimlico, central London, half a mile from MI6 HQ.

He had been days from completing a year's secondment at the intelligence service and was due to return to his job at the Government's listening post, GCHQ, in Cheltenham this week.

Dr Knapman adjourned the case for one week until September 8 when he will see 'how tests and enquiries are going'.

He said: 'The family will be anxious to have the body released following post mortem.

We have talked about this and I am not inclined to allow this to occur at the present time.'