A former Royal Marine who was charged with spying for the Hong Kong Intelligence Service has been found dead in a park and his death is being treated as unexplained by police.
Matthew Trickett, 37, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, was also accused of foreign interference and had appeared alongside two other men including Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, a UK Border Force officer at Westminster Magistrates’ Court with two other people last week.
They had all been bailed and were next due to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Thames Valley Police said Mr Trickett was found dead in Grenfell Park, Maidenhead, at around 5.15pm on Sunday by a member of the public and has launched and investigation into his death.
His family have been informed and they are being supported by officers.
In a statement, Mr Trickett’s family said: “We are mourning the loss of a much-loved son, brother, and family member.”
Mr Trickett’s solicitor Julian Hayes, added: “We are naturally shocked at this news and supporting his family as best we can.”
“It would therefore not be appropriate for us or the family to comment any further at this stage.”
The charges alleged that between 20 December 2023 and 2 May 2024, Mr Wai, Mr Trickett and Chung Biu Yuen 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 had all been bailed and were next due to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Mr Trickett was an immigration officer and Mr Yuen is a former Hong Kong police officer who currently works as an office manager for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in central London.
They trio were charged under the National Security Act after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command.
In last week’s hearing, prosecutor Kashif Malik said Mr Trickett had attempted suicide after being charged, and had asked for the defendant to be remanded in custody for his own welfare.
The force previously referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), because Trickett’s bail condition required him to regularly register at a police station.
The IOPC has assessed that referral and decided the matter should be investigated by TVP’s professional standards department.
Trickett was also the director of MTR Consultancy, a security firm formed in April 2021.
Additional reporting by Press Association.