Max SteventonPride In London boss Christopher Joell-Deshields has been accused of failing to comply with a court order to hand back company property, London’s High Court heard yesterday (13 January).
In September, Joell-Deshields was suspended from his role as CEO of London Pride after allegations of bullying and misuses of donations. London LGBT Community Pride CIC, the company behind Pride In London, obtained an injunction against Joell-Deshields which ordered him to handover his laptop and key company information.
The court heard that Joell-Deshields had failed to comply with the injunction by not handing back the property, and had therefore “frustrated” a disciplinary investigation. It is understood that disobeying the order could lead to him being fined or imprisoned.
Among the allegations surrounding Joell-Deshields’ suspension, reported by The Guardian, were that he had purchased luxury items with some of the £30,000 worth of food and drink vouchers that had been donated for use by event volunteers.
The Pride In London parade is the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ event. Joell-Deshields was appointed chief executive in 2022.
Tim Maloney KC, the deputy judge in the case, said another hearing is scheduled for 10 February to investigate the allegations further.
In a note to the judge, Joell-Deshields said, [The investigation] produced no documentary evidence to support these serious allegations of financial mismanagement – no audit findings, no forensic accounting report, no specific transactions identified as improper”.