The chief executive of London's flagship LGBTQ+ Pride event is facing potential imprisonment, fines, or asset seizure after being accused of contempt of court for failing to comply with a legal order.
High Court Summons for Suspended CEO
Christopher Joell-Deshields, the suspended head of Pride in London, has been ordered to appear at the High Court on Tuesday. The hearing will address claims that he failed to obey an injunction requiring him to relinquish control of the organisation's critical administrative assets.
The injunction, granted in September and agreed to by Joell-Deshields at a hearing, compelled him to hand over all usernames, passwords, PINs, and other information for Pride's bank accounts, social media profiles, and administrative tools. Lawyers for London LGBT Community Pride CIC, which runs the parade, now allege he has not complied.
Allegations of Withholding Information and Misuse of Funds
The organisation's legal claim suggests Joell-Deshields sought to withhold this property to prevent "the full extent of his actions becoming apparent to the disciplinary investigator." This internal probe, now in its seventh month, was launched following allegations of bullying and financial impropriety.
Central to the misconduct claims is the alleged misuse of sponsor-donated vouchers. According to whistleblowers, a sponsor's head of ethics wrote to Pride in London last February, stating their fraud systems had detected two accounts using £7,125 worth of food and drink vouchers for volunteers to purchase luxury items.
The items reportedly bought included:
- An Apple HomePod
- Apple AirPods
- High-end colognes such as Creed Aventus (retailing from £165) and Burberry Hero (from £118 a bottle)
The sponsor indicated the transaction pattern suggested personal, not organisational, benefit. One of the flagged accounts was allegedly that of Joell-Deshields.
Serious Consequences of Non-Compliance
The interim court order contained a penal notice, explicitly warning Joell-Deshields that disobedience could result in him being "held to be in contempt of court and … imprisoned, fined and/or have your assets seized." Lawyers for Pride CIC state they attempted to secure compliance through correspondence highlighting these severe consequences, but were unsuccessful.
They further express concern that Joell-Deshields "may be seeking to frustrate the processes of the court by refusing to acknowledge service" of the contempt application, despite it being served personally.
At the September hearing, Joell-Deshields' lawyer stated that his client's cooperation with the order was not an admission of guilt regarding any allegations. Joell-Deshields did not respond to a request for comment from The Guardian.
Pride in London, the UK's largest LGBTQ+ event attracting around 30,000 participants, is financed by a £625,000, five-year grant from the Mayor of London alongside its own fundraising. Governance concerns were first raised by a company director in July, followed by a formal whistleblowing disclosure from volunteer directors.
