Carl Sargeant’s family pay out £60k legal bill
THE family of Carl Sargeant have so far spent £60,000 of their own money on legal representation at the inquest into his death, we can reveal.
While the Welsh Government has agreed to pay for the family to be represented at the QC-led inquiry into the way the late politician was treated by First Minister Carwyn Jones, that does not extend to the inquest.
Mr Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life in November 2017, four days after being sacked from his role as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children.
Unspecified allegations of sexual harassment had been made against him. He was never told what they were and denied any wrongdoing.
A friend of the Sargeant family told us: “They are determined to get to the truth and being represented at the inquest has been a vital part of that. A lot has come out and the First Minister and his senior special adviser are being recalled because of concerns about their evidence.
“The Sargeants are not wealthy, and £60,000 represents about half of the money his widow Bernie got from the Assembly pension scheme as a deathin-service payment. The money was supposed to support her, but has had to be spent on legal fees.
“This isn’t a case of greedy lawyers – the fees are much lower than they could be. But more will have to be spent because the First Minister is challenging in the High Court the coroner’s decision not to call Flintshire County Council deputy leader Bernie Attridge as a witness. Meanwhile, taxpayers are paying Carwyn Jones’ legal bills in full.”
A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “The First Minister’s participation in the inquest and related proceedings has always been in his capacity as First Minister as opposed to an individual or Assembly Member.
“As such, the Welsh Government will continue to provide support for any ongoing activity resulting from the exercise of his functions as First Minister.
“While we have committed to reimbursing the Sargeant family’s reasonable costs for the independent investigation, there is no basis for the Welsh Government to fund the costs of the inquest, and any legal advice and associated costs incurred would be a matter for them.
“While the family will be named as an interested party in the judicial review proceedings, it will be a matter for them whether they are actively involved, given there was no opposition from the family’s legal representatives to Mr Attridge’s evidence being heard at the inquest.”