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MI6 spy inquest: Gareth Williams was 'dead or unconscious before he went into the bag'


MI6 spy Gareth Williams was "dead or unconscious" when placed in a sports bag because not even Harry Houdini could have locked himself in it, his inquest heard on Friday.

Peter Faulding, a former Parachute Regiment reservist and expert in confined rescues, said he was convinced another person was involved in putting Mr Williams in to a North Face holdall and padlocking it.

He said the idea of him doing it himself was in "unbelievable scenarios" and that even the world's greatest escapologist would have struggled.

His revelations will further fuel theories that the 31-year-old codebreaker may have been killed and dumped in a bag in the bath.

The inquest at Westminster Coroners' Court is investigating Mr Williams' death, whose decomposing, naked body was found in a padlocked holdall in his bath at his flat in Pimlico in August 2010.


The maths prodigy had been on secondment to MI6 from GCHQ when he died.

The issue of whether Mr Williams could lock himself in the bag is central to the inquiry and has fuelled theories that a third party was involved.

In the fifth and most dramatic day of the hearing, video footage of attempts to recreate climbing in to an 81cm by 48 cm holdall and locking it was shown to the court.

Mr Faulding, who is of similar height and build to Mr Williams, tried to climb in to a bag inside a bath and lock it himself 300 times and failed every time.

He said: "I have never been able to get this case out of my head.

"My conclusion is that he was either placed in the bag unconscious or he was dead before he was put in the bag."

When asked if it was impossible for him to have got in unaided he said: "I can't say it was impossible but I think I even Houdini would struggle with that one."

"My personal belief is that it could not be done."

He added: "I believe he was placed in there. I am satisfied from the evidence that I have seen from no DNA around the bath, the way it was locked, the shower screen placed back and the door closed my belief is that he was placed in there by a third party."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... e-bag.html

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.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17922388