LONDON, May 22, (AP): A man 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 UK 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.
Police said that an investigation is ongoing into the death, which is being treated as unexplained.
British media reports said Trickett was formerly a Royal Marine who recently worked as a Home Office immigration enforcement officer. He was also reportedly the director of a security consultancy.
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.
Hong Kong authorities have confirmed that Yuen was the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London.