Carl Sargeant inquest: 'He could have had more support'

Carl Sargeant's conduct was under investigation when he was found dead at his home

More pastoral care could have been given to Carl Sargeant after he was sacked from the Welsh Government cabinet, a former colleague has said.

Mr Sargeant's wife Bernadette found him hanged at his home in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, on 7 November 2017.

The 49-year-old lost his job as secretary for communities and children four days earlier over accusations he behaved inappropriately towards women.

AM Lesley Griffiths told an inquest a better support network was needed.

Ms Griffiths, who represents Wrexham, said she and Mr Sargeant, who was AM for Alyn and Deeside, both expected to be sacked as ministers as they travelled to Cardiff on 3 November.

They were on the train together and realised they were the only cabinet secretaries being called to Cardiff.

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She said "neither of us had a time" for meeting the first minister, which was unusual, and while waiting to see First Minister Carwyn Jones she "realised then they were keeping us apart".

After the meeting with the first minister, she spoke to Mr Sargeant by phone.

"Straight away his voice was completely different," she said.

"He asked about me first... he said I'm gone...he'd been told about allegations, he didn't know what they were.

Lesley Griffiths gave evidence on the fifth day of the inquest in Ruthin

"I could tell by his voice he was in an awful way."

Days later, Mr Sargeant's body was found on the floor of the utility room in his home in what coroner John Gittins described at an earlier hearing as "an apparent act of self harm".

Accusations had been made against the Labour AM by three different women, which he had denied.

Pastoral care

Mr Gittins told Ms Griffiths that one of his roles was to give consideration to the prevention of future deaths.

He said it did not appear to him that there was any significant support network in place for ministers and asked whether she would welcome that.

"Absolutely there should be," she told the hearing.

Leslie Thomas QC, for the Sargeant family, asked Ms Griffiths: "Do you think more could've been done in terms of pastoral care for Carl?"

She replied: "Yes, I do."

North Wales Police was called to Mr Sargeant's home after he was found on the floor by his wife

Ms Griffiths also told the hearing - which has been going on all week in Ruthin, Denbighshire - that Mr Sargeant had discussed his depression with her.

She said: "The last time I remember seeing him cry was the August before he passed away. One evening we had food together in the bay.

"He said to me 'the black dog visited'," and this was the first time he mentioned depression to her.

Ms Griffiths said she had no idea what acts Mr Sargeant referred to in the note he left for his family. She said he "wasn't a heavy drinker or an alcoholic," and liked to socialise more than drink.

She had only seen him drunk once, at a concert, and said she had never heard reports of Mr Sargeant drinking too much and getting "silly with women".

Inquest adjourned

On Friday, the inquest was adjourned to a date yet to be fixed.

Meanwhile, counsel for Mr Jones, Cathy McGahey, has been instructed to seek a judicial review over Mr Gittins' decision not to admit evidence from Flintshire council leader Aaron Shotton and his deputy Bernie Attridge.

Ms McGahey told the coroner it appeared Mr Attridge had "not told you the truth".

Mr Gittins said the first minister and his senior special advisor Matthew Greenough would be recalled for further questioning.

Leslie Thomas QC is representing the Sargeant family

Leslie Thomas QC, representing Mr Sargeant's family, has asked for telephone and text message records from around the time between the first minister, Mr Greenough and Labour AM Ann Jones, who was acting in a "pastoral role" for Mr Sargeant.

Representatives for the Welsh Government also challenged the coroner's decision not to consider text message evidence from Labour councillors Mr Attridge and Mr Shotton.

Mr Thomas is also seeking further information on Mr Sargeant's friend Sophie Howe's "mystery telephone". Ms Howe was a special adviser to him from 2013.

Adjourning the inquest to a date yet to be fixed, Mr Gittins said: "This is all about Carl and it should be all about Carl... I'm disappointed that we haven't managed to end this this week.

"There are times when we simply cannot allow expediency over fairness."

Solicitor Neil Hudgell (l) read a statement after the hearing on behalf of Jack and Bernadette Sargeant, and the rest of their family

Family statement

Speaking outside the inquest, solicitor Neil Hudgell read a statement from the Sargeant family.

He said: "The family shares the coroner's disappointment that Carl's inquest has not been concluded, although it was not surprising.

"For Bernie, Jack, Lucy and family it has been a long and difficult week, full of unnecessary delays and it is highly unsatisfactory that they have not yet been able to get all the answers they deserve.

"However, they are undeterred and will not stop in their quest for the truth."

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