Death of Matthew Trickett, suspect in spy case tied to Hong Kong trade office in UK, may complicate trial: legal expert

Professor Simon Young says Matthew Trickett, who was found dead on Sunday, might have shed light on spying accusations if he had chosen to testify at trial

Ex-Royal Marine Trickett was one of three suspects released on bail after being charged with spying for Hong Kong

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Former Home Office immigration officer Matthew Trickett was found dead in a park in the UK. Photo: AP

Published: 1:45pm, 23 May 2024Updated: 10:16pm, 23 May 2024

The unexplained death of Matthew Trickett, a suspect in an espionage case tied to Hong Kong’s trade office in London, may complicate court proceedings, with a legal scholar saying that more might have been learned about the spying accusations if he had chosen to testify.

Ex-Royal Marine Trickett, 37, was one of the three suspects charged with assisting an overseas intelligence service and foreign interference between December 2023 and May this year. British authorities alleged the trio were acting on behalf of Hong Kong.

Trickett was released on bail by a court last Monday along with Bill Yuen Chung-biu, 63, the office manager of the Economic and Trade Office in London, and Peter Wai Chi-leung, 38, a director of a private security firm.

The trio were originally expected to attend a hearing at Central Criminal Court in London on Friday, 11 days since the first one took place.