Former police inspector sued London’s Met for harassment — and his brother was recently arrested over a mysterious death
A London-based former policeman turned criminal law barrister — whose brother and chambers-mate was arrested at the beginning of the year in connection with an alleged drugs overdose death — is standing as UKIP’s candidate to be the city’s mayor.
What’s more, he’s a prominent gay rights campaigner, which, rightly or wrongly, is not a description you expect to see in connection with a Faragist candidate.
Richard Hendron (pictured above) spent nine years patrolling the mean streets of Bethnal Green and Ladbroke Grove with London’s Metropolitan Police before qualifying as a lawyer and joining a small set in the capital, Strand Chambers.
Indeed, he parted company with London’s finest on not exactly the best of terms after reaching the rank of inspector. A former senior figure in the Gay Police Association, three years ago, Hendron sued the Met, alleging that he suffered several incidents of homophobic bullying.
At the bar, he focuses on crime, with the chambers website painting Hendron as “a fearless and unconventional advocate”.
It goes on to say:
His understanding of police culture and practice has led many clients to comment on Richard’s ability, particularly when cross examining officers. His ability to expose contradictions and to discredit police officers and their evidence whilst exposing police corruption and malpractice, which ultimately can lead to not guilty verdicts.
You can imagine what the cop shop canteen chatter about him must be like since his change of career.
In line with that spirit of challenging authority and convention, Hendron joined UKIP after defecting from the Conservative Party and wants to be Nigel Farage’s main man in London.
In an interview published a few days ago on the Breitbart London website, Hendron set out his likes and dislikes. In the former category is upstart minicab company Uber.
Hendron told the site:
Uber … embraces the spirit and dynamism of London, through its approach and the cutting edge technology that it uses. It provides Londoners with more choice and provides a welcomed and well-regulated competition, which can only be a good thing for the consumer.
In Hendron’s dislike column are London Underground strikes; he hits out at the unions:
Tube drivers already enjoy a salary package that not only is disproportionate when compared to other public sector workers, but is also the envy of many workers from both the public and private sector. Tube workers have achieved their extortionate salary package by over the years holding London hostage, at great cost to London and great inconvenience to Londoners. Simply this cannot be allowed to continue.
How does Hendron reconcile gay rights activism with membership of a party whose leader was roundly criticised during the last general election debates for stirring panic over HIV healthcare tourism?
He told the website:
I am a libertarian, UKIP is a libertarian Party, that means UKIP and I believe in respecting others and valuing difference.
Hendron continued:
Yes it is correct that I have championed and pushed lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender issues more than anyone else within UKIP, standing up to the party on a number of occasions, but this has been to the benefit of both UKIP and the LGBT community. There is a disconnect between what our values are and what people perceive them to be.
Meanwhile, Hendron’s chambers-mate and brother, Henry, was assisting the rival outfit to bro’s former employer — the City of London Police — with their enquiries last January. He was arrested following the death in his flat of an 18-year-old, allegedly of a drugs overdose.
A spokesperson for City of London Police confirmed that Henry Hendron had been re-bailed until the end of September.