A suspended London Pride organiser, Christopher Joell-Deshields, has been accused of failing to comply with a court order, potentially facing fines, asset seizure, or even imprisonment. Joell-Deshields, who was suspended from his role as CEO of Pride in London over allegations of impropriety and misuse of funds, appeared in the High Court on Tuesday to answer to two grounds of contempt of court.
The organisation behind the Pride parade, London LGBT Community Pride CIC, obtained an injunction in September against Joell-Deshields, ordering him to hand over a laptop, usernames, passwords, and other information related to the group’s bank accounts and administrative tools. He was also required to provide a sworn witness statement verifying his compliance with the court order.
However, Joell-Deshields denied one ground of failing to hand over the organisation’s property, but admitted to a second relating to his failure to submit the required witness statement. His lawyer, John Brown, told the court that his client would contest the claim that he had not handed over all that was required, but acknowledged that he had yet to submit the sworn statement as ordered.
The hearing in February will address the sanctions Joell-Deshields may face, as well as hear Pride London’s argument relating to the first ground for contempt and his defence. The interim order stated that should Joell-Deshields disobey its terms, he “may be held to be in contempt of court and … imprisoned, fined and/or have [his] assets seized.”
The allegations against Joell-Deshields, which prompted his suspension, include claims of bullying and impropriety, including the use of food and drink vouchers donated by a sponsor for Pride volunteers to purchase luxury items such as Apple products and expensive cologne.
London’s annual Pride parade is the largest LGBTQ+ event in the UK, attracting around 30,000 participants. Joell-Deshields has been the chief executive since 2022, but concerns about the governance and conduct of the organisation’s leadership were first raised with the board in July, leading to a formal whistleblowing disclosure by a group of volunteer directors.