Christopher Joell-Deshields, the suspended chief executive of London’s Pride parade, has been ordered by the High Court to relinquish control of the organisation’s bank account, social media and email accounts. The order comes amid allegations that he used Pride funds for personal benefit.
Joell-Deshields, who was suspended last month, consented to the order on Friday. Pride for London had sought an injunction, claiming his conduct risked “irreparable damage” to future parades. Legal documents alleged he breached contractual obligations regarding company property and confidential information.
Marc Brittain, representing Joell-Deshields, said his client consented without prejudice to his defence against Pride’s breach of contract claim, which he denies. A separate legal claim is being pursued by Pride against him.
Allegations include misuse of company funds for personal benefit, financial mismanagement, bullying, and safeguarding failures. Specifically, it is claimed he used food and drink vouchers donated by a sponsor to buy luxury items such as Creed Aventus cologne and an Apple HomePod. The sponsor’s fraud system flagged the transactions as potentially personal rather than organisational.
The court also ordered Joell-Deshields to hand over his mobile phone and laptop to an independent investigator. Pride in London, the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ event, is financed by a £625,000 grant from the London mayor and its own fundraising.
