London Pride boss sacked after being accused of buying luxury goods with company vouchers
The boss of Pride in London, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ events, has been sacked after he was accused of buying luxury goods for personal use with vouchers intended for volunteers’ food and drink.
The boss of Pride in London, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ events, has been sacked after he was accused of buying luxury goods for personal use with vouchers intended for volunteers’ food and drink.
Christopher Joell-Deshields, who had been chief executive of Pride in London since 2021, was put under investigation last September and suspended the following month in response to claims of misconduct.
They included the alleged misuse of company funds for his own personal benefit, financial mismanagement and bullying.
Joell-Deshields appealed against the decision to fire him after the conclusion of the independent investigation into his conduct, but he lost his case on appeal.
“As a result, Christopher Joell-Deshields is no longer employed by or affiliated with London LGBT Community Pride (Pride in London),” the London LGBT Community Pride, the body that trades as Pride in London, said in a statement.
The findings of the investigation have not been made public.
Among the allegations made against him was the potential misuse of £7,125 of the £30,000 worth of food and drink vouchers provided by an unnamed sponsor for volunteers at the Pride march.
According to volunteer directors, the sponsor’s head of ethics and compliance had written to the legal director at Pride in London to say that the company’s fraud systems had detected that two accounts had used £7,125 of the vouchers on luxury items.
The items included an Apple HomePod, Apple AirPods and cologne, including Creed Aventus, which has a retail price of at least £165, and Burberry Hero, which is £118 for a 100ml bottle.
According to the whistleblowers, the sponsor advised the legal director that “the pattern and nature of the transactions strongly suggested personal – rather than organisational – benefit”.
One of the two accounts flagged was that of Joell-Deshields.
Joell-Deshields was paid his full £87,500 annual salary during his seven months under suspension, it is understood.
He remains embroiled in a legal battle with Pride over his alleged retention of its property. In September 2025, a high court judge ordered Joell-Deshield to relinquish control of Pride property, including bank accounts, internal systems and equipment.
He returned to court in January accused of two charges of contempt for failing to comply with the order.
Representatives for Joell-Deshields told the court he had not returned a company laptop as it was bought for him by the company after his personal device was damaged in his line of work.
He admitted the second count of contempt for failing to provide a signed statement confirming he had returned all company property.
Lawyers for Pride in London returned to court last week to claim the company property had still not been returned and that Joell-Deshields had failed to file a defence in the case.
Matthew Butt KC, the deputy high court judge, made an order that means the court will find in Pride in London’s favour if Joell-Deshields does not file a defence in the next two weeks.
The event is funded by corporate sponsors and £175,000 a year from the mayor of London’s office, the Greater London Authority.
In response to his dismissal, Joell-Deshields said the Guardian had been “consistent in being one sided” in reporting the saga and that he had not seen Pride’s statement. “I do not have the statement, therefore will not be speaking blindly,” he said.
