Sexual misconduct allegations against the former Welsh minister Carl Sargeant “could not be ignored”, an inquest into his death has heard.
The 49-year-old was found hanged at his home in Connah’s Quay, Deeside, in November 2017.
On the third day of the inquest, the First Minister Carwyn Jones spoke of the cabinet reshuffle in which Sargeant was removed from his post.
“During the course of discussions about having a general reshuffle, the allegations came forward regarding Carl,” Jones said. “They could not be ignored as part of the reshuffle process.”
When he was sacked, Sargeant, a father of two, was also suspended from the Labour Party over allegations of “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping”.
But while rumours in political circles about his behaviour were surfacing, it was dismissed as “tittle tattle” until a formal written complaint was made by a woman, known only as Miss A.
Sargeant’s wife and son, Jack, sat alongside lawyers listening as Jones began his evidence.
The inquest has heard that at least three women had spoken of inappropriate conduct by Sargeant, between 2015 and 2016.
An anonymous letter had also been sent to the First Minister in 2016 claiming Sargeant was “not fit to be around women”.
Neither the identity of the women involved nor the exact nature of the alleged misconduct has been revealed during the inquest.
None of the allegations were put to Sargeant directly before he was sacked and he shook his head and denied them in the meeting with the First Minister on 3 November 2017, the hearing was told. Sargeant was also not told exactly what he was being accused of.
The First Minister will continue giving evidence this afternoon.