British man accused of spying on Hong Kong discovered useless

Matthew Trickett’s physique was discovered by a passer-by on Sunday in a park in Maidenhead, close to London. Police introduced this on Tuesday.

Tricket’s loss of life has been formally declared a “loss of life underneath unknown circumstances” and, as police introduced, they are going to attempt to decide the trigger throughout an post-mortem.

Trickett lived in Maidenhead and labored as an immigration officer, having beforehand served within the Royal Marines for six years. He was additionally the director of the safety agency MTR Consultancy.

On Could 13, he and two different British residents of Chinese language origin have been formally charged at Westminster Magistrates’ Courtroom in London with collaborating with international – Hong Kong – intelligence within the type of data gathering, surveillance and different unlawful actions between December 20 final yr and Could 2 this yr.

Nonetheless, the accused weren’t taken into custody, however have been launched pending trial, which is scheduled to start on Could 24. Decide Louise Sesiora solely banned them from touring overseas, leaving house between 10 pm and 5 am, and ordered them to report back to the police.

In whole, the police detained 11 folks in other places within the UK in reference to this case on the very starting of Could, however most of them have been launched with out costs.

On the Justice of the Peace’s court docket listening to, the accused solely gave their names and stated nothing extra.

“We’re naturally shocked by this information and are supporting his household as greatest we will,” Trickett’s lawyer, Julian Hayes, instructed reporters.

On Tuesday night, a black police tent was nonetheless standing in Grenfell Park in Maidenhead, on the web site the place Tricket’s physique was discovered within the early Sunday night.

At a listening to within the Justice of the Peace’s court docket, the prosecutor requested that Tricket be remanded in custody for his personal security, explaining that he had tried to commit suicide after his arrest. The choose, nonetheless, refused the prosecutor’s request.

Beijing rejected accusations that Hong Kong intelligence providers have been concerned within the case of Triquet and firm, and the Hong Kong authorities themselves introduced in an official assertion that that they had requested detailed details about the case from the British authorities and have been awaiting a response.