Neil Wilby Media

The vast majority of the articles published by Neil Wilby Media are written in the third person, a style well known for its objectivity and detachment from the journalist. It is, of course, widely used, especially for hard news stories. Agencies such as the Press Association and Reuters primarily use the third person for consistency and impartiality.

In narrative or long-form journalism, first-person storytelling can be effective in engaging readers and making the article relatable. Particularly, where the writer’s perspective, experiences, or informed opinions are central to the portrayal.

This is one such article, where it would be almost impossible to write it in any other form than the first person. With the usual caution that a story should not become about the journalist rather than its subject.

In April, 2012, a recently retired police officer turned up unannounced at my office, writes Neil Wilby, and introduced himself as a mutual friend of another North East Regional Crime Squad detective, highly regarded and well known to me at that time.

Cedric Christie had retired as a detective inspector with West Yorkshire Police (WYP) the previous year. After serving as a warranted officer for 30 years, following two years as a Police Cadet, he was awarded an Exemplary Service Certificate at its conclusion by the chief constable at the time, Sir Norman Bettison. Despite, on his own account, the last 3 years as a police officer being very troubled as he and one his elder brothers, Ralph Christie, found themselves at the centre of a corruption investigation.

The officer whom, ultimately, cleared Cedric of wrongdoing, Detective Chief Inspector Francis Naughton (as she was then, deployed in WYP’s Professional Standards Department), still holds high rank with neighbouring North Yorkshire Police (NYP) and was, very recently but albeit indirectly, involved in another policing scandal which featured here on this website. Supt. Naughton was previously Head of Crime for NYP after transferring from WYP in April, 2019.

She may well have cause for very serious reflection when she reads this confession, made in July, 2021, but undiscovered by me, and brother Ralph Christie, until almost two years later. At which point an article, headlined ‘What’s Happening Brother‘, was published; it covered the existence of the confession and promised a more complete analysis in due course. That article can be read in full here.

The confession email was addressed, variously, by name, to his parents (who died over 20 years ago), estranged wife and children, an aunt, three brothers and their wives/partners, mother-in-law, brother and sister-in-law and two cousins. Thereafter, Cedric adds ‘Cousins, Nephews, Nieces and other relatives wherever you may be’ and ‘Friends and Police Family members’.

The email address formerly used by Ralph Christie had become defunct, due to the domain lapsing, and he didn’t, therefore, receive the email. I was not included on the circulation list; surprising, one might observe, given that I had been Cedric’s campaign manager in the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in 2012 and, as such, one of those most dramatically affected by the revelations.

This is the full text of the confession. The subject line of the email carried just one word: ‘SORRY’.

“I write to you all because I want to improve my life and my standing. I cannot do so effectively until I confront the past and say SORRY.

“I realise I have been wandering lost for many years.

“I have been foolish in many aspects of my life.

“I have been blind to the obvious.

“This probably began in my teenage years when I went off the rails doing stupid adolescent things including shoplifting, causing damage and getting drunk.
1. Just before joining the police cadets (1980) I was involved in a making off without payment from a petrol station. I was with friends. I filled up the car and the driver drove away without paying. He was arrested and his solicitor later took a statement from me in which I lied by stating I was not present and providing a loose, but false, alibi for the driver. I was called as a witness to Leeds Magistrates Court by which time I had become a Police Cadet. I verbally substantiated my statement in the witness box, therefore I lied on oath.
2. Sometime around the same time period a friend crashed my motorcycle. I falsely reported it as stolen and claimed for the damage from my insurance company.
3. Whilst a serving constable I was driving a police car in Leeds probably around 1985 or 1986 when I was involved in an accident that was my fault. I accepted full responsibility and then tried to diminish the blame by amending the actual circumstances. I was warned about this by my supervisor. I did not learn my lesson.
4. On my first day as CID Aide (1988 / 1989) my tutor and I arrested a suspect who was alleged to have thrown missiles at a police car seriously injuring a police officer. My tutor seized a jacket from the suspects house and we went to the damaged police car. He then placed broken glass from the car on the jacket. I did protest briefly but the deed was done. I did not have the strength to confront the tutor as I knew I should have done. I should have reported him to a supervisor. In due course I attended the trial of the suspect and gave evidence that was untrue, in that I denied any knowledge of wrongdoing concerning the jacket and glass. The defendant was found guilty.
5. In 1990 or 1991 I was with a Detective Sergeant when we detained a man in connection with a murder. The colleague suggested that the man had made a significant comment but this was not true. In due course I made a statement regarding the alleged comment that was untrue.
6. In the early 1990’s I saw a stolen car in Leeds that had been involved in a burglary. I identified the driver as being a suspected burglar I knew. I was not sure that he was the driver of the vehicle. I recall encouraging another police officer to try and get a civilian witness to make a positive ID of the driver. The officer did not do so. Ultimately I did attend court and give evidence stating that I was sure the person I knew was driving the vehicle. This was not true. He was found guilty.
7. In the Hyde Park area of Leeds a colleague hit a detainee in the face. I was a sergeant and the supervisor of the colleague. I did nothing about this. The detainee was not injured.
8. Following the arrest of suspects for a burglary nearby I took the shoes of one of the suspects to the scene of the crime and put them on. I trod around in the garden and then requested that SOCO examine the marks. In due course I believe the shoes were submitted for forensic examination. There were no criminal proceedings in this case.
9. (1997 or 1998) A colleague had already detained a suspect when I attended. The colleague showed me a screwdriver and suggested to me that I plant it on the suspect. I was a Sergeant, he was a constable. I refused the offer but I did not confront the misconduct of the constable in the correct manner.
10. (1998 or 1999) A colleague and I approached two drug dealers in Harehills, Leeds and recovered drugs in their possession. The colleague then found more drugs in a cigarette packet on the adjacent ground. At the police station we made notes to state that we had both seen the cigarette packet in the hand of one of the suspects. This was not true. Whilst the colleague initiated the lie I was his supervisory Sergeant and I should not have acquiesced. In due course I made a false statement which was substantiated in oral evidence at Leeds Crown Court. Both defendants were found guilty.
11. In 2004 I was a newly promoted Detective Inspector at Weetwood. There were several overnight rape investigations to allocate but there were insufficient detectives. I initially forgot about the report on my desk due to other work. I recall speaking to the victim, I think the same day or the next day. I filed the report as undetected. I now cannot believe I did this without conducting a thorough investigation. I failed in my professional duty.
12. Theft
a. I stole an axe from police property in or around 1991 or 1992 to prevent it being returned to a suspected aggravated burglar.
b. I stole a CS gas canister from the police store in the mid 1990’s.
b. I stole a tool box from ECU offices in or around 2007.

“So you can see that what was on the whole a successful 30 year career I let myself down on many occasions. Not only did I let myself down, I let my colleagues down and the wider community. In some of the above circumstances I actually thought I was doing the right thing by ensuring that people I believed were offenders faced justice. I now realise this was foolish of me.

“There can be no excuse for lying, whatever the circumstances. The consequences can be and often are very serious. They were for some of the victims of my improper conduct.

“To bear false witness in Her Majesty’s courtroom under oath on the bible, is particularly grave and may result in very serious sanctions.

“I conveniently forgot about these earlier indiscretions when I became Police and Crime Commissioner in 2012, when I rather hypocritically stood on an anti-corruption message.
There are a number of reasons I am sending you this email now, so long after the events.

“However the bottom line is that I failed, I was weak and I let everyone down, including all of you. My family.

“I’m sorry.

“The words and actions of most, if not all of you, have helped me to realise the mistakes I have made. Ralph has had the greatest impact to set me on the straight and narrow.

“I should have come to terms with my situation much earlier. I take responsibility and I am prepared to face the consequences of my stupidity and move on with my life.

“Those of you with whom I have had strained relationships recently, this is my fault. Again I apologise.

“My final words go to [names of estranged wife and children redacted].

“I am ashamed and embarrassed by my conduct. This includes my foolishness in my private life.

“I did not honour and respect a fantastic wife and mother. I was not a good role model for [names of children redacted]. I will endeavour to be a better father in the future.

“[names of children redacted], you are both fortunate to have such a wonderful, loving, strong and principled mother. She has my total respect. I love you all very much. You are both brilliant and I am very proud to be your father.

“Once again I unequivocally say, SORRY. I let the whole family down, including those who are not here today. Obviously that includes my Mum and Dad which is particularly shameful.

“They taught me to tell the truth.

“Love to all of you
Cedric x

“FOOTNOTE
Please feel free to forward this email to persons I may have missed from the recipient list if you so wish”.

During the seven months leading up to the PCC election campaign, for obvious reasons, Cedric and I worked very closely and were almost inseparable. His mantra, oft-repeated throughout that time, and up to March or April 2014 when I last carried out some editing work on his behalf, connected to a complaint/civil claim he was pursuing against WYP, was that he was an unbreakably honest cop and absolutely incorruptible.

Those simple edicts were also the foundation stones of his election campaign. As can be seen from the copy of the flyer (the work of a graphic designer friend and myself) that is beneath the headline of this article.

Cedric asserted, unequivocally: “I will chase the corrupt and incompetent out of office. They do not deserve your respect, you the public do”. Adding: “Vote for honesty, integrity, accountability and transparency”.

Going against convention, he had refused to accept his Exemplary Service Certificate from his chief constable personally, and an assistant chief constable, John Parkinson, with whom Cedric had served as a Cadet, because he questioned their honesty and integrity. It was eventually sent in the post to his home in Ripon.

At the heart of the same 2012 election hustle was loud, persistent and effective campaigning on behalf his brother, Ralph, who had remained under suspicion in the same fraud investigation in which Cedric was eventually cleared. By that time, the elder brother had been on bail for 3 years and all his bank accounts and assets in Crete, where he had been resident since 2005, frozen.

Some time just before, or after, a criminal trial, heard in Chania, Crete in October, 2013, ‘Honest Ced’ unexpectedly, and remarkably, changed sides. Ralph Christie was cleared by the Greek court of much the same allegations he faced in West Yorkshire over property dealings in Crete. But his younger brother was the only family member and friend, of the many in the public gallery, not to be celebrating the outcome.

Cedric’s duplicity did not become apparent, however, until some time later. He is known to have visited Crete in January and April, 2014 to carry out investigations into those property deals at the centre of the Greek acquittal and the West Yorkshire Police investigation. On the first occasion he travelled with another retired WYP officer, Andrew Watt (know widely as ‘Spot’); on the second occasion he was accompanied by his nephew, Declan Christie (Ralph’s son), who acted as interpreter with Cretan property and land owners.

To this day, both Cedric and Declan steadfastly refuse to disclose details of those investigations and documents relating to their out-turn.

WYP did not, at any time, send even one detective to Crete during a major investigation that stretched to almost six years and is now dubbed ‘The Biggest Failed Fraud Investigation in British Policing History’.

The working hypothesis, strengthened considerably by the confession, is that the force had engineered some leverage over Cedric Christie and ‘turned’ him. His visits to Crete were very likely at their behest. It is known for certain that he had at least one meeting with Head of Professional Standards at that time C/Supt Andy Brennan and DCI Simon Bottomley (later to also be a WYP Head of PSD).

What is also not in dispute is that, at the time Cedric (and Declan) conducted those investigations, brother Ralph faced just three charges, effectively relating to one transaction with a value of 300,000 euros. The lame product of five years of concerted effort by WYP and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Within four months of Cedric’s return from the second trip to Crete, there were nineteen counts on the indictment with a value of over 54 million euros (read more here). On 17th April, 2014, Senior Prosecutor, Andrew West, wrote, on behalf of the CPS, to Ralph’s solicitors saying that ‘as a result of further investigations’ more charges would emerge.

It is well rehearsed that, in March, 2015, Ralph Christie was cleared by a jury at Bradford Crown Court on fourteen out of the nineteen charges and the other five remain very hotly disputed to this day. Not least by a Manchester-based criminal appeals lawyer who is currently instructed on drafting an appeal against the charges upon which he was found guilty.

There are very many questions arising from the Cedric Christie confession, such as it is. Not least the victims of his criminality. Most of which will take the form of an open letter to him, planned for publication in the coming days. He has declined the offer of a meeting or phone call with Neil Wilby and continues to dodge correspondence and phone contact from his elder brother and those alongside Ralph on the innocence campaign journey. Declan has also refused every entreaty to have a meeting on or off the record.

The most pressing, of course, is that if the Cedric Christie confession is full, genuine and contrite – and on all subsequent evidence it is not – where is the admission that he was, through the eyes of those same innocence campaigners, instrumental in turning those committed to the defence of the charges into prosecution witnesses? Helping to send one’s own brother (and, in Declan Christie’s case, his own father) to prison for seven years is something from which he should urgently seek absolution.

Cedric’s ‘evidence’, gathered on those visits to Crete in 2014 and not disclosed at any time, either before, during or after the trial, could go a very long way to clearing his brother’s name. If the youngest Christie brother is genuinely ‘SORRY’ then those documents can be produced, in confidence, to Ralph’s lawyer and add significant force to the appeal against his convictions.

Over to you, Codhead (or Coddy), as he is affectionately known.

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Page last updated: Thursday 21st September, 2023 at 07h05

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