Police: Briton accused of spying for Hong Kong found dead

May 21 (UPI) — A British immigration officer charged last week with colluding with Hong Kong intelligence was found dead, police said on Tuesday.

The body of 37-year-old Matthew Trickett was found at around 5.15pm local time on Sunday in Grenfell Park in Maidenhead, a market town 30 miles west of London.

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Thames Valley Police confirmed the identification of the body on Tuesday and said its officers were investigating the “unexplained death.”

“His family has been informed and is receiving support from officers,” a police statement said. “We would ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”

Trickett, a former Royal Marines member and Maidenhead resident, died while on bail awaiting trial on a charge of assisting a foreign intelligence agency.

He was charged on May 13 along with Chi “Peter” Leung, 38, a border officer at Heathrow Airport and special constable with the City of London Police, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, the bureau chief of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office. Leung also holds dual Hong Kong-British citizenship.

Authorities alleged that between December 20, 2023 and their arrest, the trio agreed to spy for the Hong Kong Secret Service and attempted to break into the home of a Hong Kong dissident on May 1.

The three were released on bail.

China’s Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang, China’s Foreign Ministry and Hong Kong Prime Minister John Lee have all denied the allegations.

“The Chinese side firmly rejects and strongly condemns the United Kingdom’s machinations in the so-called case and its unfounded accusations against the Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region) government,” Lee told reporters after the arrests. “The Hong Kong government has called on the British government to provide comprehensive information on this matter.”

Relations between Hong Kong and London have deteriorated dramatically since mass pro-democracy protests rocked the former British colony starting in 2019.

In response to the protests, Hong Kong passed a draconian national security law that forced pro-democracy protest leaders to flee abroad, some of whom sought refuge in Britain.

London introduced a new visa program in 2021 that allows millions of Hong Kong residents to apply to work and live in the UK, despite the national security law, which criminalizes broad acts of sedition, subversion, terrorism and collaboration with foreign authorities to undermine China’s national security with heavy penalties.