The Plebgate MP, his loyal wife... and a showdown at The Garrick with judge ‘who has cost them £2m’
TORY MP Andrew Mitchell and his wife became embroiled in an extraordinary confrontation at London’s famous Garrick Club with the judge who ruled against Mitchell in the notorious Plebgate case.
The former Cabinet Minister told Justice Sir John Mitting, who landed him with a £2million legal bill for calling police ‘f***ing plebs’, that he was ‘unfit’ to be a judge. And Mitchell’s wife Sharon waded into the exchange last month, telling Sir John he should be ‘ashamed’ for ‘nearly destroying’ the couple’s family.
The Plebgate storm erupted in 2012 after police refused to let Mitchell cycle through the Downing Street gates, sparking a four-letter outburst from the politician.
In a subsequent libel trial, Sir John rejected ‘childish’ Mitchell’s denials he had used the ‘politically toxic’ phrase ‘plebs’. He had to pay £80,000 damages to PC Toby Rowland, a member of the Metropolitan Police diplomatic protection group, in addition to a huge legal bill. The scandal forced Mitchell to quit the Cabinet in disgrace.
His chance evening encounter with Sir John, 69, at The Garrick – where both are members – was the first time they had come face to face since the trial. According to eye witnesses, when Sir John spotted Mitchell across the room he called out cheerily: ‘I hope we aren’t on bad terms.’ The atmosphere became more tense when the couple walked over to him and Mitchell’s doctor wife Sharon, who fiercely defended her husband throughout ‘Plebgate’ said: ‘Are you Judge Mitting?’ Sir John replied: ‘Yes.’ Sharon, a mother-of-two, then said: ‘You got it all so wrong. You ought to feel ashamed of yourself for your treatment of my husband. You nearly destroyed our family’. Mitchell, 60, intervened: ‘I don’t believe you are a bad man.’ This drew a tentative ‘Oh?’ from Sir John. However, merchant banker Mitchell could not contain his anger at four years of humiliation and financial loss, and he added: ‘But you are exceedingly foolish and naive and clearly live in a world of Dixon Of Dock Green. And you have the nerve to hail me like this. Furthermore, you misled us in your first judgment about the costs. You are not fit to be a judge and I profoundly hope you retire as soon as possible.’ Sir John replied: ‘Yes. October 8 next year.’ (His 70th birthday.)
The Mitchells’ actions could land them in hot water with the club’s crusty hierarchy. The club, whose members include Stephen Fry and Jeremy Paxman, is one of the last to maintain a ban on women members. They can attend only as guests and are denied access to parts of the establishment.
The ‘Plebgate’ affair in September 2012 caused a sensation. Mitchell had just been made Chief Whip and was tipped as a future PM. In the 2014 court case, he was accused of saying to PC Rowland: ‘Best learn your f***ing place. You don’t run this f***ing government. You’re f***ing plebs.’ He denied using the word ‘pleb’ but Justice Mitting said CCTV footage did not back up his version of events and dismissed Mitchell’s ‘absurd’ claim of a police plot against him.
The Mitchells and Justice Mitting declined to comment.