UK Cop Who Investigated CIA Falls Off Cliff, Dies

Nigel Bunyan, Nick Allen and Gordon Rayner
UK Telegraph
March 12, 2008

A chief constable who plunged to his death in Snowdonia had been drinking before he was found dead at the bottom of a cliff.

Michael Todd had also used his mobile phone to text members of his family in the hours before he died, sources said.

It was believed he may have been texting up to the moment he jumped or fell off the cliff.

One source said the high flying officer was “reeking of gin” when he was found. A half drunk bottle of gin was found nearby.

He was partially clothed, although it was unclear whether he had taken his own clothing off or it was ripped off in the fall.

Mr Todd was found slumped face down. No tablets or pills were found at the scene.

He was carrying his warrant card and his jacket was found nearby.

Police will study the text messages he sent to assess his state of mind at the time he died.

Coroner Dewi Pritchard-Jones is understood to be keeping an open mind about whether Mr Todd intended to kill himself.

The high-flying 50 year-old married father of three is understood to have had at least one extra-marital affair and to have fathered an illegitimate child.

Sources said it was an “open secret” that he had relationship with a woman police officer when he worked in London.

He had spoken about committing suicide to friends in Manchester only days before he died.

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