Disbelief of partner in charity boss death (From Basildon Recorder)

Disbelief of partner in charity boss death

10:00am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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THE partner of a charity boss found dead after being suspended from his job has spoken of her ordeal at finding him.

Mark Williams, 40, previously known as Marc Thackham, was found dead at home after being suspended as chief executive of Basildon, Billericay and Wickford Council for Voluntary Services.

Partner Sue Garner found him with a plastic bag connected to a gas canister over his head at the address in Bown Close, Tilbury.

She said: “My feeling is one of disbelief I won’t be seeing him again. His mind must have been in another place.

“We had a brilliant five years together. We were really happy and he was a good friend to people.

“It’s been a traumatic time – there’s a big gap in our lives.”

Ms Garner said she thought the latest investigation could have contributed to him taking his own life.

He was suspended amid allegations of an irregularity on his CV when he got the job as Mark Williams.

Thackham was his surname after living with adopted parents and he changed it to Williams – his natural mother’s name – by Deed poll. The Echo has learned he was dismissed following a similar complaint five years ago when, under the name Marc Thackham, he was appointed by the Hampton Trust in Southampton.

Kim Brown, its chief executive, said: “He was only with us a matter of weeks when irregularities on his application were found.”

Mr Williams previously worked for a number of other charities and there was also an investigation into spending before he resigned as a director of Harrow Association of Disabled People.

However, Ms Garner said he had been committed to his work, adding: “I’m sick of people making him out to be a fraud, when he wasn’t.”

His funeral takes place at Basildon Crematorium later this month.

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