| SESSION 5. Wednesday Morning, April 25, 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10:34 | @skynewsgatherer | Inquest into death of MI6 code breaker Gareth Williams continues for 3rd day. Am there with @Stone_SkyNews |
| 10:34 | @skynewsgatherer | All SO15 officers who worked on the Gareth Williams case had six months of vetting to enable them to work with security services |
| 10:34 | @skynewsgatherer | Coronor rules that the Met Police released photos of crime scene not exhibited during inquest |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Gareth Williams inquest expected to hear from another friend and colleagues of code breaker |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Elizabeth Guthrie called to give evidence. She was a friend of Gareth Williams |
| WITNESS: Elizabeth Guthrie | ||
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie first met Gareth when she was sharing a flat with his friend Sian Jones, who gave evidence yesterday |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie became friends in their own right and as neither liked going out they would stay in and play video games |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | The pair shared a interest in Manga. They had been intended to go to an expo dressed in bright wigs |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie says she heard Gareth had been on design course and says it could have been to learn to make Manga costumes |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie says the women's clothes found at Gareth's flat would not have been for him |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie says clothes could have been 'support strategy for someone else' |
| 10:35 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie never visited Gareth's flat and was never invited to it |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie says that Gareth never discussed any details of his work with her |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie says that if Gareth had concerns he would have shared them with her or his sister |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Gareth drank alcohol at friend's flat but never out. He frowned on drug taking |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie says her view was that Gareth was straight, not gay, and had no interest in cross dressing |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | 'We were going to a fancy dress party but he was going as a ninja not a queen' Ms Guthrie tells inquest |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Guthrie: 'Gareth being as private as he was, for someone being brought back would have been of note. He would have told his family.' |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Gareth told Ms Guthrie that he worked for the Home Office. But she 'connected the dots' |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Guthrie asked by family lawyer if she knew that Gareth sometimes used another name. She replies yes - coroner asks for it to 'stop there' |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Next witness is Supt Michael Broster |
| WITNESS: Michael Broster | ||
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | SO15 were also first to examine any USB sticks, phones etc, to make sure they didn't have sensitive info about SIS work on them |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Inquest hears that SO15 found no links between Gareth's work and his death |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | SO15 acted as a go between SIS and murder squad. Broster says this did not hamper investigation but admits it caused a delay |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | No witness statements were taken from SIS or GCHQ |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | In line with security policy no sensitive material was found on laptop etc in Gareth's flat |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Lawyer acting for Gareth Williams is challenging decision not to take any statements from intelligence services staff |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Supt Broster also being asked how he could be sure electronic items had not been tampered with by SIS before he analysed them |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Family lawyer comparing enquiry to other criminal cases where there is a statement confirming how evidence is protected. None in this case |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Family lawyer describes it as an 'old boys act' where SIS says there has been no tampering and SO15 accept their word |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Supt Broster says he has no reason to suspect that electronic items were interfered with |
| 10:36 | @skynewsgatherer | Supt Broster says that he doesn't know how the media found out that Gareth Williams had visited bondage websites |
| 10:37 | @skynewsgatherer | Supt Broster says he was doing as requested by DCI Sebire but at the same time he was doing his own investigation |
| 10:37 | @skynewsgatherer | Inquest adjourned for 15 mins |
| STATEMENT FROM: a police officer who was on duty the night Gareth was found | ||
| 10:38 | @skynewsgatherer | Inquest will now hear read statements of 8 witnesses. The first a police officer who was on duty on night Gareth Williams was found |
| STATEMENT FROM: Jennifer Elliot | ||
| 10:41 | @skynewsgatherer | Next statement is from Jennifer Elliot who rented flat to Gareth Williams near GCHQ. He lived there for 10 years |
| 10:43 | @skynewsgatherer | She described Gareth as 'lovely polite young man'. Gareth had said he was returning to flat in Sept 2010 |
| 10:47 | @skynewsgatherer | 3 years before his death Mrs Elliot heard Gareth shouting for help - she found him tied up to his bed |
| 10:48 | @skynewsgatherer | Landlady says Gareth was wearing just his underpants and explained his situation by saying he just wanted to see if he could escape |
| 10:48 | @stone_skynews | Statement from Gareth Williams old landlord reveals that he was once found tied up on his bed. Claimed he wanted to see if he could get free |
| 10:50 | @stone_skynews | Landlady says she and her husband thought the situation was more sexual than escapology |
| 10:51 | @skynewsgatherer | Landlady says Gareth Williams had offered to pay more rent after she and husband were forced to untie him from bed. She declined |
| STATEMENT FROM: Carol Kirton | ||
| 11:04 | @skynewsgatherer | Next statement is from Carol Kirton who sold Gareth Williams a £1000 pair of shoes which he told her was for his girlfriend |
| 11:07 | @skynewsgatherer | Ms Kirton says all items bought by Gareth Williams were high end fashion and would compliment each other |
| STATEMENT FROM: Cheryl Eastap | ||
| 11:08 | @skynewsgatherer | Tutor at fashion course attended by Gareth Williams says Gareth was a quiet man, very polite and had a slight stutter |
| 11:11 | @skynewsgatherer | Cheryl Eastap, fashion tutor, said Gareth was very nervous man, continually made apologies, a loner, he didn't mix with other students |
| 11:13 | @skynewsgatherer | Final read statement is from Magdalena Kolakowska. She worked at cake shop |
| STATEMENT FROM: Magdalena Kolakowska | ||
| 11:16 | @skynewsgatherer | Gareth Williams would visit Patisserie Valerie two or three times a week. She said she had seen Gareth talking to woman |
| 11:18 | @skynewsgatherer | Inquest now adjourned until 1.25pm so that screens can be put up to hide identity of witnesses K, F and G |
| 11:58 | @stone_skynews | GCHQ codebreaker Gareth Williams was once found tied to bed by landlady inquest hears |
| END OF SESSION 5. Wednesday Morning, April 25, 2012 | ||
Link to source of April 25 coverage
