Welsh politician Carl Sargeant 'not afforded natural justice' before death, says family

The family of Carl Sargeant have hit out at the Labour party investigation into the former Welsh Assembly member, saying the late politician had not been afforded "common courtesy, decency or natural justice".

Mr Sargeant's family released correspondence showing the Alyn & Deeside AM was facing allegations of "unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping" at the time of his death, but that he had not been provided with full details of the accusations against him.

They stressed that Mr Sargeant, who was found dead on Tuesday, had denied any wrongdoing and had been frustrated at the Party's unwillingness to communicate with him on the issue.

"The distress of not being able to defend himself properly against these unspecified allegations meant he was not afforded common courtesy, decency or natural justice," a family spokesperson said.

Mr Sargeant is understood to have taken his own life four days after being sacked from his role as communities and children secretary in the Welsh government.

A Labour Party spokesman insisted the Party's governance and legal unit had "outlined the nature of the allegations" to Mr Sargeant.

The correspondence - which the family said it was releasing "in light of the continued unwillingness to clarify the nature of the allegations made against Carl" - includes a letter and email sent on Monday by Mr Sargeant's solicitor, Huw Bowden, to the Labour Party in which he appealed to the Party to provide details of the accusations against his client.

He also noted the party had confirmed that no "parallel investigations" - such as a police inquiry - were being conducted.

Writing the day before the 49-year-old's death, Mr Bowden warned that the case was causing Mr Sargeant anxiety and distress and that any delays in concluding the party's investigation would be "prejudicial ... to his physical and mental well-being".

Noting that a first hearing for the inquiry was not scheduled until January 16, Mr Bowden said: "With the Christmas period intervening ... the ongoing delay is both prejudicial to the preparation of our client's case, but also to his physical and mental well-being."

Mr Sargeant was facing "serious and career-threatening allegations" and was "anxious to ensure his name and the reputation of the Labour Party is preserved", said the Cardiff-based solicitor, who urged the party to cover the AM's legal costs.

Mr Bowden also complained that broadcast interviews by Carwyn Jones, in which the Welsh First Minister said he had been informed of "a number of incidents" relating to Mr Sargeant's behaviour with women, were prejudicing the inquiry.

In his email, Mr Bowden said that it appeared a "large number of people" had spoken to the complainants without Mr Sargeant even being informed of who they were.

"There appears to be a very real possibility that the evidence of the witnesses is being manipulated and numerous conversations with the witnesses by various members of the First Minister's Office at the very least must create uncertainties about the credibility of any evidence," he wrote, demanding a full log of contacts with witnesses and complainants.

The family statement came after questions were raised about the investigation into Mr Sargeant.

Labour's women and equalities spokeswoman Dawn Butler initially called for an investigation into how Welsh Labour had handled the case against Mr Sargeant, but less than an hour later she said in a statement that no investigation was needed.

"I have looked further into the process followed in this case. I am satisfied that the appropriate process was followed," she said.

Ukip's leader in Wales Neil Hamilton called for First Minister Jones to step down over the matter, saying: "By publicly sacking Carl without giving him details of the allegations, he subjected Carl to trial by innuendo and left him to twist in the wind ... The First Minister should accept his personal responsibility and resign."

A spokesman for the First Minister said: "This is a difficult time for everybody, particularly Carl's family, who are still coming to terms with this horrific news.

"Like everyone in the Welsh Labour family Carwyn is deeply upset by the death of his friend. Tomorrow Welsh Labour AMs will meet in the Assembly to remember Carl and discuss the tragic events of the past week. Carwyn will make a further statement following the meeting."

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