‘Sheriff of Soho’: Sacked Met officer Frank Partridge found guilty of taking bribes
A corrupt Metropolitan Police officer known as “the Sheriff of Soho” has been found guilty of taking bribes from a London’s West End nightclub owners and security bosses.
Former sergeant Frank Partridge, 50, was tasked with policing the area’s nightlife but formed inappropriate relationships with a small group of people involved with running its venues.
Southwark Crown Court heard they wanted him “in their pocket” and Partridge was happy to accept gifts including a £7,000 family holiday to Morocco, a bespoke monogrammed £1,350 suit and tickets for his mother-in-law to see heavy metal band Metallica in Milan for her 60th birthday.
He was treated to hotel stays, free hospitality, and meals and drinks in central London’s high-end bars and restaurants while working with the Westminster licensing unit between 2013 and 2015 – and even accepted the services of a sex worker.
Prosecutors suggested Partridge would pull his punches over alleged breaches of licensing rules, including criminal allegations of sexual assault, or help favoured security firms land lucrative contracts.
Partridge pleaded guilty to three counts of bribery and was found guilty of four further counts on Wednesday. He will be sentenced next Tuesday.
The ex-officer, who joined the Metropolitan Police in 1992 and previously worked in the force’s clubs and vice unit, told the jury he accepted gifts from “friends” but insisted: “My work was always impartial.”
He was cleared of one further count of bribery, including allegations he accepted Manchester United tickets and shirts signed by then player Wayne Rooney
Partridge was sacked from the Met following misconduct proceedings in April 2016 for travelling in first-class train carriages, when he was only permitted second-class travel between London and his home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.
Partridge was dubbed the ‘Sheriff of Soho’
He knew the West End well, having lived in a section house behind Marylebone Police Station when he joined the force as a beat officer.
As a single young man, he would socialise in Soho’s bars and clubs, where he first met co-defendant Ryan Bishti, 43, the owner of Cirque le Soir nightclub, which is popular with celebrities.
The court heard Bishti laid on hospitality for Partridge at the club, where he was rumoured to have his own table. Bishti also paid for a hotel stay, and arranged Metallica tickets for Partridge, the trial heard.
He also gave him a £200 VIP Wireless Festival ticket and even organised a “special birthday party” for his son, including a magician.
Footage found on Bishti’s mobile phone shows Partridge with a dancer dressed as a cat, who playfully whips the officer, who was later pictured wearing cat ears and a leash.
Following a night out at wine bars and a casino, Bishti was captured “in his shorts, vest and socks” in CCTV footage at his home in Battersea, southwest London, where Partridge was staying before two sex workers were let into the building, jurors were told.
Undercover police sting
Partridge, who also ran a florist with his wife Maura Contardi, an Italian national, was arrested at Scotland Yard later that morning on 24 June 2015 after spending the night at Bishti’s apartment.
It came after a surveillance operation, including bugs and an undercover officer posing as someone wanting to buy a club for a German investor.
Partridge was watched as he spent an hour being fitted for a suit and shirts at a tailor in Clerkenwell, north London, before drinking with Terry Neil, 56.
TSS director Terry Neil
Neil was a director of TSS, which provided security to venues in the West End and treated Partridge to meals at high-end restaurants including Nobu, and cocktails at Archers Bar.
He was a guest of the firm at a £3,000-a-ticket end-of-summer party held by Sir Elton John at the singer’s Berkshire home in September 2014 to raise money for his Aids Foundation charity, as well as Global’s Make Some Noise gala dinner.
Signed Wayne Rooney football shirts
Prosecutor Philip Evans KC said Neil wanted to keep Partridge “sweet” and the officer helped his firm get a contract with Mayfair restaurant Sketch by putting pressure on the management.
Beat nightclub boss Eamonn Mulholland, 56, was accused of bribed Partridge with free tickets to see Manchester United, including luxury hospitality, travel and hotel accommodation.
Police found two shirts signed by then player Wayne Rooney that said “Best Wishes Frank” and “Best wishes Alessandro” (his son), as well as a souvenir football in a box for the Manchester derby in a search of his home.
Man Utd shirt signed by Wayne Rooney
But Mulholland, of Florence Street, Islington, north London was cleared of two charges of bribery as was TSS director Soraya Henderson, 56, of Flackwell Heath, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Partridge, who now lives in Spain with his wife, said he “couldn’t believe what was happening” when he was arrested and denied his job was impacted by taking bribes.
“I had made myself confident I could accept those gifts because there was nothing in it at all,” he said.
Bishti, of Exhibition Road, South Kensington; Neil, of Kimbers Drive, Slough, Berkshire; and Anna Ginandes, 46, of Fellows Road, Camden, north London; were each found guilty of one count of bribery.
A defendant who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of one count of bribery. They will be sentenced on September 21.
Crown Prosecution Service senior specialist prosecutor Debbie Jeffrey said: “It is clearly wrong and unlawful for a police officer to accept bribes in return for improperly performing his duties, but Frank Partridge did.
“In fact, for a two-year period he maintained corrupt relationships with the co-defendants also found guilty of bribery today.
“In doing so he failed in his duty to reduce crime and ensure public safety.”
‘Motivated by greed’
Commander James Harman, from the Met’s anti-corruption and abuse command, said: “This is a case where an officer with responsibility for licensing in central London has abused his position of trust and power for his own personal gain.”
He said Partridge was “motivated by greed and self-interest”, adding: “That’s corruption and we are determined to route corruption out of the Met.
“Officers are in a position of trust and the vast majority do their duties with bravery, professionalism and determination to do the right thing for the public.
“But a minority, as in this case, will take advantage of their position of responsibility and where they do so they can expect to be dismissed, arrested charged and prosecuted in the courts.”
Victims of grooming gangs and modern slavery are being denied compensation by a government scheme because of their criminal records, Sky News has learned.
Analysis of official figures by Sky News’ Data & Forensics team shows more than 11,000 victims of crime over the last decade have been denied payouts because of their unspent convictions, including children.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority can award money to victims of violent crime, including sexual abuse.
It is the only government compensation scheme for victims – for those unable to work due to injuries, the money can be vital.
But, if an applicant has a criminal record, they are automatically refused compensation with limited exceptions.
Those with unspent convictions sometimes receive reduced sums.
Sky News has found that at least 130 children with criminal records have received reduced awards over the last 10 years, including 50 victims of sex abuse, four victims of brain damage, and one child who lost sight in an eye.
This rule on unspent convictions is based on the idea that public funds should only compensate blameless victims of crime and not, for example, a gang member who was injured in a fight.
But many argue the policy punishes those who have been forced to offend by exploiters, as well as victims of child sexual abuse.
‘I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed’
Arthur Sherry, 43, from Perranporth in Cornwall was regularly abused by his babysitter from the age of five, including suffering rape.
In 2008, he reported it to Devon and Cornwall Police, alongside two other victims. He alleges the police did not believe him, and charges were not brought against his abuser.
Arthur Sherry, who was abused as a child, says he was denied compensation because of his criminal record
Arthur became angry and descended into addiction as a “coping mechanism”, becoming suicidal, and was repeatedly arrested for minor offences, such as making false calls to the emergency services.
“I wasn’t getting support from any agencies, and no one asked me, ‘Why is this man ringing the emergency services all the time?'”
“It was a cry for help. I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed.”
Eventually, Arthur’s abuser, Shaun Burton, was convicted of multiple offences against children, including 11 counts of indecency with a child in relation to Mr Sherry.
But when Arthur, who suffers from complex PTSD, subsequently tried to make a claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in 2013, it was rejected because of his criminal record and because he submitted his application beyond CICA’s time limit.
He was not allowed to appeal the decision.
Arthur, aged 12 in the picture, was regularly abused by his babysitter, Shaun Burton, from the age of five
Many survivors of grooming gangs have criminal records due to being exploited and coerced.
While the government recently announced plans to disregard child prostitution convictions for these victims, many are urging authorities to go further and pardon all related offences.
Former victims’ commissioner Dame Vera Baird said: “They were not exercising their own free will and voluntarily committing crime, so there should be a discretion to look at that and say, ‘No, that wasn’t their fault’.
“They should get compensation for all the evil that was done to them by that gang.”
In 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommended that the government amend the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme so that “applicants with unspent convictions are not automatically excluded where offences are likely to be linked to the circumstances of their sexual abuse as a child”.
The government has refused to act on this recommendation.
However, Labour MP Sarah Champion has tabled an amendment to the upcoming Victims and Courts Bill, hoping to implement it, as well as widen eligibility to the scheme.
“Victims are seen as running a cannabis farm and get a conviction, before it actually turns out that they were a victim of modern slavery.
“These people, who are very clearly recognised as victims and survivors, aren’t getting the money that’s owed to them. The system is broken and the ministers need to get rid of it.”
‘I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed,’ Arthur tells Sky News’ Alice Porter
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A government spokesperson said: “Last year, more than £164m was paid out under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to victims, and we are going further by removing the time limit for civil personal injury claims and doubling Home Office funding for services supporting adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
“Changes to the way we compensate victims have been considered by successive governments, and our priority must always be to treat all victims of violence equally.”
Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Tackling sexual offending is a key priority for Devon & Cornwall Police and we are working hard to bring offenders to justice.
“We take reports of all sexual offences seriously and will carry out thorough investigations into reports, looking at all viable lines of enquiry.”
Nathan Gill was at Manchester airport, about to board a flight to Russia, when accepting bribes finally caught up with him.
Gill, the former leader of Reform UK Wales and a one-time member of the European Parliament, who on Friday was jailed for 10-a-half-years, was stopped by police before boarding and had his phone seized in 2021.
While they interrogated him, his home in Anglesey was raided, with detectives discovering more electronics and cash piles of €5,000 (£4,400) and $5,000 (£3,800) respectively.
Nathan Gill being questioned. Pic: Met Police
The evidence on Gill’s phone would damn him – he was in contact with a pro-Russian politician in Ukraine, Oleg Voloshyn, and had agreed to boost pro-Russia viewpoints in exchange for money.
Voloshyn would dictate the statement, and Gill would repeat it – in some cases, almost word for word – in the media or the European Parliament.
In one instance, Gill appeared on the now-banned Ukrainian TV channel, 112 Ukraine, which was known for its pro-Russian stance.
In the interview, he was critical of the Ukrainian decision to open criminal proceedings against Viktor Medvedchuk, the owner of the television channel and a personal friend of Vladimir Putin.
Nathan Gill. Pic: Met Police
Speaking to the outlet, he said he was “very concerned” about the investigation, and wondered whether it was meant to silence “opposition politicians”.
Prosecutors said messages on Gill’s phone showed that this was at his paymaster’s instruction, with Voloshyn offering a “reward” if he would say that it was unacceptable to persecute a person for their political convictions.
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Voloshyn also offered the MEP €2,000 (£1,750) if he would express concern that Mr Medvedchuk could no longer mediate with Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, the court heard.
He added that “V” – understood to be Mr Medvedchuk – did not believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “true intentions to pursue a peace agenda”, prosecutors said.
Bundles of cash were recovered from Gill’s home. Pic: Met Police
Sure enough, Gill appeared on 112 Ukraine saying it was “very sad” that Mr Medvedchuk felt he no longer had Mr Zelensky’s backing to act as a mediator with Russia, and suggested that using him “would be a sensible thing to do”.
The messages traded in innuendo, referring to the exchange of “Xmas gifts” or “postcards” instead of money.
But as the pair grew more comfortable with each other, they bargained more explicitly, with the sum of “£5k” quoted for Gill’s work.
Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Command at the Met Police, said Gill had also offered access to other MEPs.
“This is where we get into that slightly odd situation where it feels very much like a real effort to undermine democracy here,” he said.
“This is Nathan Gill reaching out to individuals that he knows, who are Brits, who might be willing to be paid to go and make speeches.”
Commander Murphy declined to name names, but said there was an ongoing investigation and that other people had been spoken to.
None of the pro-Brexit MEPs Gill allegedly approached have been interviewed under caution.
Pic: Met Police
Police confirmed there was no evidence to suggest Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was involved.
Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021, under schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Borders Security Act 2019.
He offered police no explanation for his actions and answered no comment in a March 2022 police interview.
But the 52-year-old is believed to have had financial problems.
Mr Murphy added that while Gill appeared to have pro-Russian sympathies, he was primarily motivated by money.
The ex-MEP has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to eight counts of bribery between December 2018 and July 2019.
Following an investigation by counter-terrorism police, officers said they believe Gill likely took a minimum of £40,000 in cash and was offering to introduce other British MEPs so they could be bribed.
Voloshyn was picked up by the authorities on a trip to the US in 2021, which enabled the FBI to discover his end of the conversation.
He is now believed to be in Russia, but has been sanctioned by the UK government over allegations of trying to destabilise Ukraine.
Nathan Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery over pro-Russian statements. Including to media outlet 112 Ukraine. Pic: Met Police
He remains wanted in both Britain and Ukraine.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Mr Gill’s actions were reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable.
“We are glad that justice has been served and fully welcome the sentence Nathan Gill has received.”
Mr Farage, the Reform UK leader, said: “An investigation into Russian and Chinese influence over British politics would be welcome.”
The MP for Clacton previously described his former colleague as a “bad apple” and said he was “shocked” after Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery.
He said: “Any political party can find in their midst all sorts of terrible people.
“You can never, ever guarantee 100% that everyone you meet in your life, you shake hands with in the pub, is a good person.”
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