Axed Labour minister Carl Sargeant ‘begged party chiefs to tell him sex pest allegations’ before ‘he took his own life’
LABOUR’S Carl Sargeant killed himself after begging party chiefs to detail the sex pest allegations against him, sources say.
Sargeant died at home four days after being sacked as a Welsh Government minister and suspended by Labour.
The Sun can reveal solicitors acting for him wrote to Labour bosses over the weekend to warn he was suffering from distress and anxiety over not knowing details of the claims against him.
A source said: “Labour were warned it was affecting his mental health”.
All that tragic Mr Sargeant had been told on Friday was that the allegations centred on “groping, unwanted attention and inappropriate touching”.
The shock death exploded the Westminster sleaze scandal that has rocked Parliament for the past two weeks.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the death was “terrible and deeply shocking”.
But furious politicians insisted the death had to mark an end to the witch-hunt sparked by a sex scandal that has rocked Parliament to its core.
They claim MPs are being “thrown to the wolves” in a climate of fear gripping political parties.
One Welsh Labour insider last night said: “Carl’s death has shown that in its frenzy to be politically correct the Labour Party has lost all sense of justice.”
Tory backbencher Nigel Evans urged party leaders to remember they also had a “duty of care” to MPs facing allegations from victims.
The MP – who spent a year clearing his name over sex assault charges in 2013 - said: “There has been an enormous price paid today.
“I’ve said it before but there has to be anonymity for anybody facing sexual abuse or assault allegations as well as the victim.
“How many more suicides do there have to be before the Home Office acts on this? Carl was still innocent!”
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Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones – the man who sacked Mr Sargeant on November 3 - said he was “shocked and deeply saddened”.
Just 24 hours earlier on Monday, Mr Jones insisted that he felt he had “no choice” but to take action against his colleague.
He said: “I asked my office to speak to those women involved who had provided detail of those incidents.
“As a result of those conversations I felt I had no choice but to refer the matter to the party.”
Mr Jones added the women spoke to his office on the basis of confidentiality.
Distraught family members hugged each other on the drive of the mid-terrace former council house where Mr Sargeant lived in Connah’s Quay – as a private ambulance left the property.
Lifelong childhood friend Bernie Attridge wiped away tears as he paid tribute to the father of two. He said: “He was a personal friend of mine.
“It’s such a sad loss of such a great friend of mine. My heartfelt thoughts are with Bernadette his wife Jack his son and Lucy his daughter.
“At the end of the day allegations were made, I’m a great believer you are innocent until proven guilty.”
Carl Sargeant was first elected to Cardiff Bay in 2003 as Labour Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside.
Until last week’s removal as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Childre, he had served in a series of ministerial roles in the Welsh Government.
In 2007 he was appointed chief whip of the Labour Group.
In a statement his family said: “Carl was a much loved husband, father and friend. He wasn’t simply a part of our family.
“He was the glue that bound us together. He was the heart of our family. We loved him so very much.
“He was the most kind and caring husband, father, son and friend.
“We are devastated beyond words, and we know our grief will be shared by all those who knoew and loved him.
“We are in shock and grief."
The PM’s official spokesman last night said: “Our hearts go out to his family and colleagues.
“But given the circumstances we wouldn’t want to go any further.”
Proceedings in the Assembly were stopped today as a mark of respect.