Ex-Royal Marine charged with 'spying for Hong Kong' found dead
Matthew Trickett covers his face as he leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court
PA
A former Royal Marine who was charged with spying on Hong Kong activists in the UK has been found dead.
Matthew Trickett, who was on bail after appearing in court accused of assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service, has died in unexplained circumstances in a park in Maidenhead, Thames Valley Police said.
Officers from Thames Valley Police attended Grenfell Park and administered emergency treatment but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives have now confirmed the man is Trickett, aged 37, from Maidenhead.
Trickett was found dead in Grenfell Park, Maidenhead
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A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police said: "His family have been informed and they are being supported by officers. We would kindly ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.
"A post-mortem will be conducted in due course. We are asking anyone with information to come forward particularly anyone who was in Grenfell Park on Sunday afternoon prior to 5.15pm.
"If you have information then please call 101 quoting reference 43240233265. Mr Trickett was on court bail, awaiting court proceedings, which required him to register at a police station regularly.
"Therefore, because Thames Valley Police had prior contact with Mr Trickett, a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is normal in such circumstances where there has been a death following police contact."
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Court artist sketch of (left to right) Chung Biu Yuen, Chi Leung Wai, and Matthew Trickett appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court
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Matthew Trickett, 37, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, was also accused of foreign interference and had appeared alongside Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week.
The charges alleged that between December 20, 2023, and May 2, 2024, Yuen, Wai and Trickett agreed to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service.
It is also alleged that on May 1, 2024, they forced entry into a UK residential address, being reckless as to whether the prohibited conduct, or course of conduct of which it forms part, would have an interference effect.
They had all been bailed and were next due to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday.
The Times reports that Wai is a UK Border Force officer based at Heathrow and a City of London police special constable, and is a Chinese and British national.
Yuen is a retired Hong Kong police officer and office manager for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in central London.
Trickett was employed by Immigration Enforcement in February and previously worked for the UK Border Force at Heathrow.
He was also the director of MTR Consultancy, a security consultancy formed in April 2021.
In a statement, Thames Valley police said: "Mr Trickett was on court bail, awaiting court proceedings, which required him to register at a police station regularly.
"Therefore, because Thames Valley Police had prior contact with Mr Trickett, a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as is normal in such circumstances where there has been a death following police contact.
"The IOPC have assessed that referral and decided that the matter should be investigated by Thames Valley Police's Professional Standards Department."