Gareth Williams Inquest: A Narrative Verdict

The coroner, Fiona Wilcox, has returned a "narrative verdict" - this is legalese for saying she can't be sure how Gareth Williams died, and that there is not enough evidence to definitively conclude that he was "unlawfully killed".*  

However 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.”
Quoted in the Telegraph online.

Though it is certainly possible that Gareth Williams was murdered, I fail to see how she can think it is "probable" from what she said during her summing-up.

She said: "Most of the fundamental questions in relation to how Gareth died remain unanswered."' BBC News.

In fine:

1. The most likely cause of death was poison or asphyxiation.
2. No traces of drugs or poison were found. But some drugs eg GHB/GBL metabolise into the body ["Alcohol and GHB were found in his blood, but were probably produced naturally" Times]. Poisons such as chloroform and cyanide would not be evident due to the state of decomposition.
3. There did not appear to be any serious injuries - and no signs of struggle. But it's difficult to be clear about minor injuries because the body was so badly decomposed.
4. The coroner believes it is "unlikely" he got into the bag by himself [This seems pure conjecture - but then so is almost all of this].
5. It would have been extremely difficult, but not impossible, to lock the holdall from inside.
6. The keys to the padlock were found inside the bag, beneath his right buttock. It would not have been difficult to get out by breaking the zip. There was no sign of a violent struggle to get out.
7. "The balance of probability" is that Gareth Williams was alive when he got in the bag. A pathologist said said it would be "extremely difficult" to place a floppy dead body in a foetal position as neat as that in which the corpse was found.
8. If so he would have died quite quickly of C02 poisoning whatever, probably within minutes.
9. Gareth Williams visited bondage websites sporadically [four times in two years] and is known to have experimented with self-bondage once. There is no evidence he had researched "claustrophilia" [arousal by enclosure].
10. There is no indication of suicidal intent [After searching the flat police "discovered a newspaper cutting that listed the main regrets of the dying" on a coffee table. Earlier report].

11. There were no DNA, footprints, fingerprints, or any other evidence suggesting the presence of a third-party. Though this may also suggest the flat had been professionally cleansed. ["Police found no unidentified fingerprints anywhere else in the death flat. All belonged to Mr Williams or his close family." Mail] ["There was no evidence that the flat had been 'wiped' of prints. Yet circumstances suggest that someone else, who knew their business enough not to leave clues, had been at work there. Probably wearing gloves." ibid. Eh?]

a. The DNA traces of at least two people were found but were so weak they may never be of any use and could be “years” old. Telegraph.
b. Results are expected within weeks as to whether a DNA sample has been recovered from a towel found in the kitchen. ibid.
c. A "DNA mix-up" occurred when the DNA of someone examining the case was mistaken for that of a third-party.
 d. "If a naked Mr Williams had climbed into the holdall while it was in the bath, he would have left hand and footprints. That there were none found suggests that he was already in the bag before it was placed in the bath." Mail.
12. There was no evidence of semen in the bag ["Traces of his semen were found on the floor of the bathroom in which his body was discovered and on his dressing gown" Mail].
13. There was no sign of forced entry to the flat ["but someone could have put their hand through the letter box and lifted the latch if the door was not double locked"]
14. His line manager did not report Williams was missing to the police for a week, and some evidence was handed over to the police late
15. It only emerged yesterday that M16 did not hand over to police nine computer memory sticks [and a holdall] found at his workplace that they had examined. It is not known what was on the sticks, or even if they were his. A mobile phone had been restored to factory setting the night before he died.
16. There were unverifiable reports of him visiting gay bars. But police have found no sexual partners and/or lovers [of either sex]. [Although he sets my gaydar ringing, if he was it is remarkable no trace has been found of him acting on this]
17. There was a collection of womens' clothes, shoes, make-up and a wig in the flat, estimated to be worth £20,000. These may have fitted him, they may have been gifts [I have no idea what bearing this would have on his death, either way though].
18. It was unusual for the heating in the flat to be on in August - this would have sped up decomposition. 
19. According to The Guardian; "During her verdict, Wilcox rejected 'suicidal intent', interest in bondage or cross-dressing, or "auto-erotic activity" being related to Williams's death." [Elsewhere in The Guardian online "appeared to reject..."]
[I find ruling out auto-erotic activity absolutely baffling - as I've said several times before let's take Occam's Razor to this case].
20. An officer from the Met said they believed a third-party was "definitely" involved ["either at the time of death or to cover up" Times], but there is no evidence Williams had arranged to meet someone.
21. MI6, SIS and Scotland Yard say there is no evidence his death was linked to his work [Cue cries of "But they would say that, wouldn't they?"]. ["Detective Superintendent Michael Broster said the possibility that an MI6 officer may have been involved in the death of Gareth Williams could not be ruled out..." The Times]. From what little we know of his job, it seems to have been quite mundane deskwork - not anything that would have put him in any spooks' firing line...

The police investigation is continuing. 

* "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"

PS This is all taken from the initial online reports, obviously. Hoping to read a transcript soon. Will update accordingly.