Marconi 'Suicides'

[Anonymous]

The 25 deaths weren't the only 'suicides' in the defence industry throughout the time they were happening (in fact, if they had been, that would be so remarkable as to require a book in itself!), so the old 'statistically insignificant' argument falls down at the first fence (posts above, passim).

Sorry, Garrick, I'm going to have to pull you up over that statement. Do you have any numbers to back this up?

 

[Anonymous]

Anyhooo, the stats don't reflect anomalies such as:

* Dodgy inquests (Keith Bowden and his car's mysteriously-changed tires and a fishy drink-driving verdict, 1982; or Peter Peapell who apparently was assisted to have his car put on him, the garage closed, and killed by CO from an engine that was turned on after his death).

* 'Paired' suicides (Vimal Dajibhai of Marconi Underwater systems Croxley Heath, who "threw himself off" Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, August 1986; and Ashaad Sharif, Marconi Defence Systems HQ Stanmore, who performed that remarkable 'decapitation' suicide in Bristol two months later, neither of them having any reason to be in Bristol)

* Consecutive runs of "suicides" (1987: January -- Richard Pugh, MoD IT consultant, found strangled in an apparent auto-asphyxiation accident; February -- Peter Peapell, Royal Military College of Science, (see above); March -- David Sands, Racal Radar Systems, handbrake turn at 80mph; April -- Stuart Gooding, Royal Military College of Science, single-car crash (no inquest) while on exercises on Cyprus, and George Kountis, systems analyst, Marconi, single-car crash (into Mersey), *and* Mark Wisner, MoD engineer, apparent auto-erotic asphyxiation, AND Shani 'Hopping woman' Warren; May -- Michael Baker of Plessey Defence Systems single car crash (open verdict)). Consecutive run? Dammit, that's nearly a Royal Flush!

Hmmm ... what was that I was saying about the defence industry being a happy place ..?

I'm really going to have to read this book if I'm going to argue against the conspiracy angle, but from what I've read on this thread there are some questions I can ask and points I can make:

1) Why was Keith Bowden's drink driving verdict fishy? Fishy is different from downright suspicious as in Shani Warren's case, which I agree is the most troubling aspect to me. Even so, the defence industry link to Warren is at best tentative.

2) I didn't really understand why Peapell's verdict was supposed to be so suspicious. And to stage a suicide like that seems like a lot of trouble to go to. This kind of case really requires some kind of a diagram.

3) Were the paired suicides mates? You place "threw himself off" the bridge in inverted commas, why is this? My view of the decapitation suicide is in a separate post.

4) Sands death was suicide? Was this proven? How did they know it was a deliberate high speed manouver rather than a loss of control or mechanical failure?

5) Gooding. Car crash. Big deal.

6) Ditto Kountis.

7) Ditto Baker.

I do have issues with this auto-erotic stuff. For someone to go the lengths they do for a thrill is alien to me, though people do throw themselves out of aeroplanes for similar reasons....

I'm not asking anyone to regurgiate Open Verdict btw, just asking questions...

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers for the clarification, G. I do enjoy a good conspiracy, though I like to kick things around before it gets any credence with me!
Regarding the forensically significant cases, there are a couple of dodgy cases based upon what I've read here, though I still feel that a few other deaths have been dragged in to beef up the numbers. Many people die on the roads every day, and without regurgitating the stats above I'm inclined to discount 4,5,6 and 7 as fishy. Admittedly it does leave a couple of deaths with odd circumstances but I'm still not inclined to believe the idea that they were somehow assasinated because of their defence industry links. I simply don't think there is enough evidence to prove this. Whether this means the KGB were successful is a matter of personal taste!
I would question the carbon deposit analysis, i.e. how does this test account for deposits over the years from normal use. The confined space is interesting though is it really impossible? These are clever people, though the point about it being fishy is taken.
The worn tyres... well, there could be innocent reasons for this though it is strange. It does seem a very weird and inefficient way of killing someone however. Are PI's really impartial, or are they compelled to find evidence which supports their client's view? Who knows whether Bowden stopped for a swift half or three between work and home? Maybe he'd arranged to meet someone who wouldn't come forward as they wouldn't want to be involved in the inquest.

I guess we have to return an open verdict