David Ford v Sir Paul Condon (Commissioner Metropolitan Police)


It is alleged that there was an Aggravated Armed Robbery at the home of one Mr Derek Sherborne on 21st September 1982, this was hailed as one of the biggest antiques robberies of this century. Among the items supposedly stolen in this robbery were four paintings which is where I become involved in the story. I was arrested in 1985 and charged with knowingly handling stolen property and jailed for 2 years. The paintings and a number of others items were taken away by the police to be used in evidence, including paperwork and diaries seized from my shop. The paperwork and diaries were never offered as evidence and although they were returned to me in 1987 they were taken away again and since have never been returned. These items are central to my case but the police refuse to return them to me and say that under the Limitation Act (1980) I have no claim, but I have been trying to retrieve these items since 1988 well within the 6 years laid down in the Act. The police also claim that the items were not removed unlawfully, but they were removed to be used in evidence and were not entered onto the exhibits list. This means that they were removed for another purpose, therefore unlawfully. The police maintain that the paintings are stolen but I can prove otherwise and will do in these pages and when I get my day in court.



Scandals in Justice