Current:Home > MarketsFormer British marine accused of spying for Hong Kong found dead in U.K. park by passerby -WealthFocus Academy
Former British marine accused of spying for Hong Kong found dead in U.K. park by passerby
View
Date:2025-04-28 14:06:10
A former member of the U.K.'s Royal Marines who was charged with assisting Hong Kong authorities with gathering intelligence in the United Kingdom has died in unexplained circumstances, British police said Tuesday.
Matthew Trickett, 37, was one of three men charged earlier this month with agreeing to engage in information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist the Hong Kong intelligence service from late 2023 to May 2. Prosecutors also alleged that the men forced entry into a U.K. residential address on May 1.
The men had all been bailed and were next due to appear at London's Central Criminal Court for a hearing on Friday. They haven't yet entered pleas.
Thames Valley Police said Trickett was found dead in a park in Maidenhead, west of London, on Sunday afternoon after a report from a member of the public. The police said an investigation was ongoing into the "unexplained death."
"His family have been informed and they are being supported by officers," police said in a statement. "We would kindly ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time."
British media reports said Trickett was formerly a Royal Marine. He was also formerly employed by the U.K. Border Force at Heathrow Airport, before joining Home Office Immigration Enforcement on February 21, 2024, the U.K.'s PA news agency reported. He was also the director of MTR Consultancy, a security firm formed in April 2021.
He was charged along with Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63. The men appeared at a brief court hearing to confirm their identities on May 13.
The three were charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service and with foreign interference, in violation of the 2023 National Security Act.
The act came into force in December and is designed to bolster U.K. national security against "hostile activity" targeting the country's democratic institutions, economy and values.
Police said earlier the "foreign intelligence service" in question was Hong Kong's.
Hong Kong authorities have confirmed that Yuen was the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London.
Trickett's lawyer, Julian Hayes, said he was "shocked" at Tuesday's news and was supporting Trickett's family. He declined to comment, because investigations were ongoing.
A police cordon remained in place in Grenfell Park in Maidenhead late Tuesday, with several officers stationed next to a black forensics tent close to a playground.
"Groundless and slanderous" accusations
Chinese authorities in both the U.K. and Hong Kong have decried the charges, saying they were the latest in a series of "groundless and slanderous" accusations by U.K. government authorities against China.
Hong Kong's government demanded that the U.K. provide full details on the allegations and protect the rights of the office manager of the trade office.
The spying charges came amid simmering tensions between Britain and China. U.K. officials have been increasingly vocal in warning about security threats from Beijing, and recently accused China of being behind a string of cyberespionage operations targeting politicians and Britain's election watchdog.
- British spy chief on why China is the "single greatest priority" for MI6
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said Britain is facing an increasingly dangerous future because of threats from an "axis of authoritarian states," including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
In a separate and ongoing court case, two men, including a parliamentary researcher, were recently charged with spying for China. Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act by providing information or documents that could be "useful to an enemy" — China — and "prejudicial to the safety or interests" of the U.K. between late 2021 and February 2023.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese control as a semiautonomous territory in 1997. More than 100,000 Hong Kongers have moved to the U.K. since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law triggered by the huge anti-government protests in the city in 2019. Britain's government has established a fast-track immigration route for the migrants, many of whom want to settle in the U.K. because of dwindling civil liberties in their home city.
Rights groups have warned that Hong Kongers who have moved to Britain continue to face "transnational repression" by supporters of the Chinese government.
AFP contributed to this report.
- In:
- Hong Kong
- Death
- Spying
- China
- United Kingdom
veryGood! (212)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Five dead in four Las Vegas area crashes over 12-hour holiday period
- Holiday hopes, changing traditions — People share what means the most this holiday season and for 2024
- Honda recalls 2023: Check the full list of models recalled this year
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Pope Francis denounces the weapons industry as he makes a Christmas appeal for peace in the world
- Morocoin Trading Exchange: Tokens and Tokenized Economy
- Is it smart to hand over your email address and phone number for discounts?
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- A Georgia nonprofit is on a mission to give building materials new life
Ranking
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Banksy artwork stolen in London; suspect arrested
- The year of social media soul-searching: Twitter dies, X and Threads are born and AI gets personal
- 32 things we learned in NFL Week 16: Christmas gifts arrive early – for some teams
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- End 2023 on a High Note With Alo Yoga's Sale, Where you Can Score up to 70% off Celeb-Loved Activewear
- A family tragedy plays out in the ring in 'The Iron Claw'
- Bridgerton's New Look at Season 3 Is the Object of All Your Desires
Recommendation
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
One Life to Live's Kamar de los Reyes Dead at 56
A guesthouse blaze in Romania leaves 5 dead and others missing
Philadelphia Eagles nearly gift game to New York Giants, survive sloppy second half in win
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Toyota small car maker Daihatsu shuts down Japan factories during probe of bogus safety tests
Ukraine says it shot down Russian fighter jets and drones as the country officially marks Christmas
Police seek SUV driver they say fled after crash killed 2 young brothers