05 June 2023 , 19:23
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A sergeant denied he was blackmailed over a video of him being whipped by a dominatrix dressed as Cat Woman, a court heard.
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, who deny being in a corrupt relationship, are on trial at Southwark crown court, South London, with five others on bribery charges.
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 unmasked dominatrix smooches him.
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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.
Partridge claimed he was a functioning alcoholic
Partridge with 'cat woman' at clubBishti 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 told Bishti the owner of a potential 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 frolicking at the club
Partridge outside courtBishti lavished Partridge with gifts, which the prosecution say were bribes, including paying towards the renovation of his home in Leighton Buzzard, Beds, 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. Bishti called up two escorts, who stayed for an hour. Partridge, who is married with three children, denies being bribed with a prostitute or that he had sex that night.
He claimed he was washing his shirt for an important meeting but when he arrived at work he was arrested after being under covert surveillance.
During a grilling by prosecutor Phillip Evans KC, Partridge admitted taking freebies but said he remained impartial.
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“He never waved that video under your nose and threatened you must do something?” the prosecutor asked Partridge, who replied, “Absolutely not.”
Partridge denied accepting a holiday worth £7,000 from a security firm boss.
He was sacked in February 2016 on an unrelated matter and has admitted three counts of bribery but denies others. The trial continues.