The morning case file
London Crime Briefing
Significant incidents, hearings, outcomes and public-data changes across the capital.
Subject
Court of Appeal
London Crime News has published 6 stories involving Court of Appeal, from July 2026 to October 2026. Each one is scored for how well the original reporting stood up, and lists the reports it was written from.
- Courts · London
Frederic Priestley's rental scam sentence cut by 11 months
Frederic Priestley has had his prison sentence for a rental scam reduced by 11 months. He defrauded over 30 people of nearly £77,500 by advertising a London flat he did not own on Facebook.
London3 min readTrust 42 · Craft 57 · Hype 41 
Courts · WandsworthSave Wimbledon Park challenges Mayor's approval at Court of Appeal
Save Wimbledon Park is challenging the Mayor of London's approval of the All England Lawn Tennis Club's expansion plans at the Court of Appeal. The group argues the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course land is subject to a statutory trust for public recreational use.
Wandsworth4 min readTrust 70 · Craft 77 · Hype 45
Courts · SouthwarkFraudster Priestley's jail term cut by Court of Appeal
Freddie Priestley, from Southwark, has had his prison sentence reduced from 35 months to two years by the Court of Appeal. He admitted defrauding over 30 renters out of more than £77,000 by falsely advertising a flat on Facebook.
Southwark3 min readTrust 50 · Craft 65 · Hype 20
Courts · City of LondonDame Victoria Sharp retires as King's Bench President
Dame Victoria Sharp has retired as President of the King's Bench Division and Deputy Head of Criminal Justice. She was the first woman to hold the top role in the division, which she led for seven years.
City of London3 min readTrust 42 · Craft 67 · Hype 20- Courts · London
Convictions quashed for men jailed on corrupt detective's evidence
Two men convicted in 1976 of stealing mailbags have had their convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal. The convictions were based on the evidence of Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, who was later jailed for corruption. This brings the total number of convictions overturned due to his misconduct to 15.
London3 min readTrust 60 · Craft 75 · Hype 20 - Policing · Westminster
Met Police to arrest Palestine Action supporters at Westminster protest
Metropolitan Police will deploy officers outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 30 July 2026 to arrest supporters of Palestine Action, a group proscribed in 2025. No related court hearings are scheduled, but police say verbal or visible support for the group is illegal and will lead to charges.
Westminster4 min readTrust 42 · Craft 55 · Hype 15