BTP CORRUPTION – APPEAL

[g.satchwell]

During the 1970’s Detective Sergeant Ridgewell of the Transport Police in London, perjured himself to gain convictions against innocent men. These included members of British Railways staff at Bricklayers Arms Depot and perhaps elsewhere, as well as members of the public.

See for instance The Times, Friday January 19 2024, ‘Posthumous justice for innocent men framed by corrupt detective.’

Two fathers jailed as a result of lies by Britain’s most corrupt police officer have had their convictions posthumously overturned following a “systemic” 50-year failure by the authorities.

Basil Peterkin and Saliah Mehmet were convicted in 1977 of thefts at a British Rail goods depot.

The investigation was led by Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, a notoriously corrupt and racist British Transport Police officer, who pleaded guilty three years later to stealing from the same depot during the same period.

Nine other people, overwhelmingly young black men, who were jailed as a result of Ridgewell’s investigations dating back to 1972, have already had their convictions overturned...

See too Wikipedia reference to ‘Derek Ridgewell’, noting some of the other cases that involved members of the public

During recent years I have been able to find evidence and help some of his victims in support of their appeals. Even though their wrongful convictions were more than 40 years old, miscarriages of justice were identified and longstanding convictions overturned.

The full number of individuals, BR employees and members of the public, who fell prey to Ridgewell has not yet been established, but the it is certain that others are yet to be found.


If you know of any such case, or know anything that might help others obtain justice, please contact me in confidence.


Graham Satchwell. LL.B. Hons. Former Detective Superintendent, BTP. ([email protected])

 

[Railwaysceptic]

During the 1970’s Detective Sergeant Ridgewell of the Transport Police in London, perjured himself to gain convictions against innocent men. These included members of British Railways staff at Bricklayers Arms Depot and perhaps elsewhere, as well as members of the public.

See for instance The Times, Friday January 19 2024, ‘Posthumous justice for innocent men framed by corrupt detective.’



See too Wikipedia reference to ‘Derek Ridgewell’, noting some of the other cases that involved members of the public

During recent years I have been able to find evidence and help some of his victims in support of their appeals. Even though their wrongful convictions were more than 40 years old, miscarriages of justice were identified and longstanding convictions overturned.

The full number of individuals, BR employees and members of the public, who fell prey to Ridgewell has not yet been established, but the it is certain that others are yet to be found.


If you know of any such case, or know anything that might help others obtain justice, please contact me in confidence.


Graham Satchwell. LL.B. Hons. Former Detective Superintendent, BTP. ([email protected])

I didn't know about this. It's horrifying. Thank you for helping to rectify matters.

 

[g.satchwell]

I didn't know about this. It's horrifying. Thank you for helping to rectify matters.

That's kind of you to say. It is horrifying when you get to know that random lives has been utterly destroyed without reason. I can't walk away.

 

[greyman42]

That's kind of you to say. It is horrifying when you get to know that random lives has been utterly destroyed without reason. I can't walk away.

You only have to look at the Post Office scandal.

 

[g.satchwell]

Yes, there are real similarities.

 

[Busaholic]

South and South East London (the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich and Bromley in particular), in which I grew up shortly after the war were hotbeds for dishonest and racist cops in the Metropolitan Police, so perhaps it's unsurprising that it extended to the BTP. Councillors too in the case of the first two authorities. I worked both for two of these local authorities and, much later, the Probation Service, saw some of it in action and heard stories that, if only 25% were true, were deeply shocking.

 

[sh24]

What a shocking story. Echoing Railwaysceptic, thank you for trying to rectify an awful situation.

 

[g.satchwell]

South and South East London (the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich and Bromley in particular), in which I grew up shortly after the war were hotbeds for dishonest and racist cops in the Metropolitan Police, so perhaps it's unsurprising that it extended to the BTP. Councillors too in the case of the first two authorities. I worked both for two of these local authorities and, much later, the Probation Service, saw some of it in action and heard stories that, if only 25% were true, were deeply shocking.

That's an interesting background to specific events, it would bench to know more.

 

[WesternLancer]

I have followed aspects of this story since they were originally in the mainstream media a few years ago eg from 2018:

Man convicted of theft in 1976 cleared after Googling his arresting officer

Stephen Simmons was convicted of mailbag theft over 40 years ago but a chance discovery led to his acquittal

www.theguardian.com

A man found guilty of stealing mailbags more than 40 years ago has had his conviction quashed in what the lord chief justice described as an exceptional case. The court of appeal heard that the arresting officer in the original trial had died in prison not long afterwards while also serving a sentence for mailbag theft.

Stephen Simmons, now 62, a businessman from Dorking in Surrey, was arrested with two friends in Clapham, south London, in June 1975 by DS Derek Ridgewell of the British Transport Police, who attributed incriminating remarks to the young men.

and the Guardian has run a number of stories connected with the police officer concerned over the years. I had forgotten that some of them involved BR staff who would have been victims of miscarriages of justice.

@g.satchwell - having read some of your posts on the forum over time it is very good to hear about how you have helped people in respect of things as mentioned in your OP. Whilst I have no personal connection with any cases, I just wanted to say well done for your efforts and work in this area.

 

[g.satchwell]

I have followed aspects of this story since they were originally in the mainstream media a few years ago eg from 2018:

Man convicted of theft in 1976 cleared after Googling his arresting officer

Stephen Simmons was convicted of mailbag theft over 40 years ago but a chance discovery led to his acquittal

www.theguardian.com

and the Guardian has run a number of stories connected with the police officer concerned over the years. I had forgotten that some of them involved BR staff who would have been victims of miscarriages of justice.

@g.satchwell - having read some of your posts on the forum over time it is very good to hear about how you have helped people in respect of things as mentioned in your OP. Whilst I have no personal connection with any cases, I just wanted to say well done for your efforts and work in this area.

Dear Western Lancer, thank you. I have had several such messages of thanks since posting on this forum. Whilst I have had support and help from other former police officers, I have NEVER actually had thanks, and I am shunned by many including the current chief constable!

 

[WesternLancer]

Dear Western Lancer, thank you. I have had several such messages of thanks since posting on this forum. Whilst I have had support and help from other former police officers, I have NEVER actually had thanks, and I am shunned by many including the current chief constable!

Thanks Graham. That’s disappointing to read. Sorry to hear that.

 

[AndrewP]

I would just like to say thanks for doing this - justice should always be done no matter what time has passed

 

[greyman42]

Dear Western Lancer, thank you. I have had several such messages of thanks since posting on this forum. Whilst I have had support and help from other former police officers, I have NEVER actually had thanks, and I am shunned by many including the current chief constable!

Whilst I have had support and help from other former police officers, I have NEVER actually had thanks, and I am shunned by many including the current chief constable!

That does not surprise me. You only have to look at Hillsborough to see the unwillingness of the police to help enquiries.