A former Royal Marine who had been charged with spying for China has been found dead in a park.
Matthew Trickett, 37, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, who had been accused of assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service and of foreign interference, was on bail after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week, alongside Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63.
His body was discovered in Grenfell Park, Maidenhead, at around 5.15pm on Sunday after a report from a member of the public, Thames Valley Police said on Tuesday evening.
An investigation is ongoing into the death, which is currently being treated as unexplained.
His family have been informed and they are being supported by officers, with a post-mortem examination to be conducted in due course.
In a statement, the family said: “We’re mourning the loss of a much-loved son, brother and family man.”
Trickett’s solicitor Julian Hayes, senior partner at Berris Law, said: “We are naturally shocked at this news and supporting his family as best we can.”
A local resident said the popular park, which is located close to Maidenhead railway station in Berkshire, was busy on Sunday.
Tatiana Dioniseva, 30, said: “There were so many people here – there were children everywhere. It was a bit bizarre because it was sunny – there were children about and then a crime scene over there.”
A police cordon remained in place in Grenfell Park on Tuesday evening, with several police officers stationed next to a black forensics tent erected in the centre, close to a children’s playground. More officers were positioned at vantage points and paths around the park.
Prosecutor Kashif Malik said during last week’s hearing that Trickett had attempted suicide after being charged, and had asked for the defendant to be remanded in custody for his own welfare.
Trickett was formerly employed by the UK Border Force at Heathrow airport, before joining Home Office Immigration Enforcement on 21 February 2024, and was previously a Royal Commando in the marines for six years. He was also the director of MTR Consultancy, a security firm formed in April 2021.
Mr Wai works as a Border Force officer at Heathrow airport and Mr Yuen is employed as a Hong Kong trade official based in London.
The charges alleged that between 20 December 2023 and 2 May 2024, Mr Yuen, Mr 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 1 May 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 were charged with the offences under the National Security Act following an investigation by the Met’s counterterrorism command that saw a total of 11 people arrested.
The trio had all been bailed and were next due to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday.
The UK Foreign Office summoned Chinese ambassador Zheng Zeguang to a meeting with senior officials last week over the growing row after instruction from the foreign secretary, David Cameron.
China’s London embassy reacted with fury to the charges, describing them as a “fabrication” and an “unwarranted accusation” against Hong Kong.
A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson previously said: “The FCDO was unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behaviour directed by China against the UK including cyberattacks, reports of espionage links and the issuing of bounties is not acceptable.”
In March, the government accused China of conducting a cyber espionage campaign against politicians and the Electoral Commission.
China’s UK embassy spokesperson previously said: “For some time now, the UK has staged a series of accusations against China, including those on ‘China spies’ and cyberattacks. All those accusations are groundless and slanderous.”
Following Trickett’s death, a mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as he was regularly registering at a police station while on bail, with the matter now passed to Thames Valley Police’s Professional Standards Department to investigate.
