The suspended CEO of Pride in London has pleaded guilty to contempt of court after failing to hand back login details for the event’s social media and bank accounts.
London LGBT Community Pride CIC alleged that Christopher Joell-Deshields had tried to block its access to bank accounts and social media by taking passwords, login details and a mobile phone with him after he was suspended over allegations of serious misconduct.
Lawyers for the organisation told previous court hearings that he had failed to return the items despite being ordered to do so by a High Court judge in September.
A hearing was due to be held earlier this week to decide whether this amounted to contempt.
But in a court order seen by reporters on Thursday, Mr Justice Cotter said that Mr Joell-Deshields “admits that he acted in contempt of the court” by failing to return the items.
The order said that Mr Joell-Deshields “failed to deliver up” various documents, a WeWork pass and a SIM card which belonged to Pride in London, as well as plans for holding an event in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in the capital.
It also said that he failed to provide usernames or passwords for several of Pride in London’s online accounts, including Facebook, HM Revenue and Customs, PayPal and YouTube.
The order said that Mr Joell-Deshields will be sentenced for the contempt in June or July.
He will also be sentenced for a second allegation of contempt for failing to file a witness statement, which he admitted in January.
Contempt can result in a sentence of up to two years in prison or a fine.
At a hearing in March, David Cunnington, for Pride in London, said that the organisation took legal action against Mr Joell-Deshields as it was concerned he wanted to “develop a rival organisation” using confidential information obtained in his role as chief executive.
Mr Cunnington said the organisation wants to stop Mr Joell-Deshields from having “any and all confidential information recorded in documentary form or stored in any digital or electronic form belonging to the claimant or any of its funders, sponsors, customers, suppliers or agents, comprising technical, financial and business information”.
Deputy High Court Judge Matthew Butt KC ordered that the court would find in Pride in London’s favour in the claim if Mr Joell-Deshields did not file a defence by 13 April, which was not done.
Damages in the claim are to be determined at a later date.
Mr Joell-Deshields has been blocked from using, publishing, holding or deleting company property or its confidential information.
