A Metropolitan Police sergeant videoed being whipped by a Cat Woman dominatrix has been found guilty of taking bribes in return for turning a blind eye to crime including violent brawls and sexual assaults.
Frank Partridge, 50, claimed he was a functioning alcoholic while working as a licensing officer in London's West End. Detectives found the video on the phone of Ryan Bishti, 43, the owner of Cirque Le Soir nightclub in Soho. Both men have been found guilty of being in a corrupt relationship following a 12-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Bishti lavished Partridge with gifts, which the prosecution say were bribes, including paying towards the renovation of his home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, providing free music tickets and access to Cirque Le Soir, where tables start at £1,000.
On June 23, 2015, Partridge and Bishti returned to the club boss's apartment in Battersea, southwest London, where two escorts were called up, the court heard.
Partridge, who is married with three children, had denied being bribed with a prostitute or that he had sex that night. The video shown to the jury was taken early on February 2014 at Cirque, famous for erotic dancers entertaining celebs.
Partridge was photographed with a leash around his neck and wearing cat ears while the dominatrix smooches him. She then whips him and performs a dance. He earlier had a snake around his neck while dancing to Sound of da Police with a semi-naked performer.
In another video, the officer is filmed dancing with a snake around his neck to the hip hop anthem Sound of Da Police. The Manchester United fan took free tickets to Old Trafford for the local derby and two shirts signed by Wayne Rooney from nightclub boss Eamon Mulholland, who was acquitted of bribery.
Separately, the sergeant, known as the "sheriff of Soho', took a £1700 suit and lavish hospitality from Terry Neil, 56, who ran the biggest security company in Westminster, TSS, which provided doorman to Cirque Le Soir. Neil was found guilty of one count of bribery.
Bishti was expanding with branches of Cirque in China and Dubai while looking to open a club in Westminster, at the time. Partridge was passing on information about venues he had picked up from his work, the court heard. He allegedly told Bishti the owner of a venue in Mayfair was being put under pressure by him.
Partridge denied doing favours for Bishti and claimed the information he passed on was publicly available or gossip. The Met officer was in charge of probing 3,000 clubs, bars and restaurants and could shut down a venue. He denied passing on inside information that could help keep licences or door contracts.
Partridge admitted three counts of bribery relating to a made-to-measure suit, bespoke shirts, entertainment at the Cirque le Soir and tickets to events - including Wireless Festival and a Metallica gig.
He was found guilty of four bribery charges but was cleared of one count relating to a Man Utd shirt signed by Wayne Rooney. Bishti and two other defendants were convicted of one charge of bribery.
Judge Christopher Hehir said Partridge must remain in the UK until his sentencing next week where he was told to expect a lengthy prison sentence. Bishti, Neil and two others will be sentenced in September.
Met Commander James Harman said: ”This has been a complex and long-running investigation that began in 2013 and has involved the painstaking examination of thousands of files on 178 digital devices plus huge volumes of paper records to piece the case together. I commend the diligent work of colleagues in our Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command.
“Partridge’s job was to consult with the local authority about licensing applications and supervise licensed premises to make sure they were complying with their conditions.
“But he developed unprofessional and inappropriately close relationships with people who owned, ran or were linked to those premises as well as with firms providing security to the venues.
“These matters happened almost a decade ago and how we run licensing units in the Met is now very different. Once we identified Partridge’s activities, we acted quickly to introduce measures to ensure no one officer can abuse their position of power in the way he did.
“This case is a clear example of the robust approach we take to corruption. Where a crime has been committed we will investigate and bring it before the courts, dealing not just with our own, but also with those who seek to influence and corrupt our officers and staff. ”
