Most crooked cop probe is just 9 pages
Lawyers fear Transport Police missed other victims
AN inquiry into Britain’s most crooked police officer stretches to just nine pages, despite him framing 11 innocent men in a racist campaign of corruption.
Critics blasted a “flawed” British Transport Police probe into Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, obtained by the Mirror.
And solicitors claim a failure to scour records means there could be more victims.
Ridgewell, who died in jail aged 37, made millions with gangs after framing mostly Black victims in London in the 70s, including the Stockwell Six and Oval Four.
Solicitor Matt Foot, of charity Appeal, said the internal probe did “nowhere near enough”, adding: “BTP did not examine all available records, despite claiming it had.”
And Regu Saliah, 52, whose father, Saliah Mehmet, fell prey to Ridgewell’s corruption, called it a “completely inappropriate response”, adding: “The BTP needs to acknowledge this and its part in allowing the crimes against him and others to occur.”
The review, commissioned after several convictions were overturned, claimed all victims were identified but failed to identify the case of Saliah Mehmet, cleared this year – three years after the report was finished.
DESTROYED
It also identified other officers who “colluded” with Ridgewell but seemingly failed to quiz them as they had retired.
And investigators contradicted statements by senior BTP officers who said they “examined all available records” – because in reality they had been “unable to obtain case files for Ridgewell’s investigations”.
A hoard of vital documents on Ridgewell had also been destroyed. Solicitors fear there could be other victims and Mr Saliah added: “There is a clear failure to properly investigate the extent of Ridgewell’s corruption.”
The report accepted there are “victims of gross miscarriages of justice” who should get “full and unreserved public apologies”.
Its author added: “It is unfortunate the relevant records are no longer available as I have been unable to identify further cases.”
Ridgewell joined the BTP in 1964 and framed dozens of young, mostly Black men for mugging people on the Underground.
Six Black men were arrested travelling from Stockwell Tube in 1972. They went on trial accused of trying to rob Ridgewell despite claiming police threatened violence.
Four were cleared in 2021 after it emerged Ridgewell framed them. One was acquitted at trial and one has not been traced.
Ridgewell also arrested the Oval Four in 1972 for stealing handbags. They were each jailed for eight months but their convictions were overturned in 2019 and 2020.
Basil Peterkin and Mr Mehmet were jailed in 1977 – framed by Ridgewell over a theft from a depot he later admitted stealing £364,000 from. Both died before their convictions were overturned this year.
The BTP were criticised for failing to sack Ridgewell in 1973 when a series of prosecutions were dismissed over allegations of violence and corruption. He was moved to probing mailbag theft and teamed up with criminals to split the profits of stolen post.
He also helped villains steal lorry loads of goods from the Bricklayers Arms Goods Depot in Bermondsey, South East London.
Ridgewell was caught in 1978 and jailed for seven years for conspiracy to rob in 1980 – dying in his cell of a heart attack in 1982.
Deputy Chief Constable Alistair Sutherland said the review and contact with the Criminal Cases Review Commission, chaired by Helen Pitcher, identified seven officers linked to Ridgewell, and two others were convicted of criminality. He said a new operation to identify further potential victims began in January, adding: “Ridgewell’s actions do not define the BTP of today.”