Michael Shrimpton
Michael Shrimpton (born 9 March 1957[citation needed]) is a British barrister and former immigration judge, noted for his conspiracy theories and hoaxes.
Professional and political career
Shrimpton was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in November 1983,[1] and practised law as a barrister and immigration judge.[2] As a result of his child pornography charges (see below), in April 2013 the Bar Standards Board revoked his ability to participate in cases involving children. Following his November 2014 conviction the Board completely suspended him from practice pending conclusion of professional misconduct proceedings.[3]
From 1981 to 1997, Shrimpton was a member of the Labour Party and contested the 1987 general election in Horsham and the 1989 European Parliament election in West Sussex. In 1997 he defected to the Conservative Party over the issue of EU membership.[4][5]
Conspiracy theories
Shrimpton is noted primarily for his claims concerning the infiltration of British society by German spies and saboteurs. According to Shrimpton, Germany re-established its intelligence apparatus in 1945, and has since used it to wreak economic and political chaos on the West. This apparatus is supposedly responsible for the assassinations (often via "weaponized cancer") of Hugh Gaitskell, Ross McWhirter, Airey Neave, Ian Gow, John Smith, James Goldsmith, Christopher Story, Anna Lindh, Jo Cox, Mohandas Gandhi, and John F. Kennedy. Shrimpton further claims that German spies have controlled Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and the British prime ministers Clement Attlee, Harold Macmillan, Harold Wilson, and Edward Heath.[5][6][7]
In addition to his theories concerning German international domination, Shrimpton is an outspoken campaigner on issues such as Euroscepticism, weights and measures, organized paedophilia, the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, global warming, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, and coproxamol and its role in the death of David Kelly.[8][7][2]
Criminal convictions
On 19 and 20 April 2012, Shrimpton contacted Defence Secretary Philip Dunne and MP David Lidington to warn them of an impending attack against London. According to Shrimpton, a German intelligence agency had stolen a nuclear warhead from a sunken Russian submarine and planted it somewhere in London. The agency was supposedly planning to detonate the warhead during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Dunne and Lidington referred the reports to the Olympic Security Team. Though Shrimpton was already known to various police forces as "an intelligence nuisance", they were obliged to take these latest reports seriously. When they were confirmed to be hoaxes, Shrimpton was arrested at his home in Wendover on charges of communicating false information with intent. The case went to trial, with Shrimpton representing himself. He was convicted on two counts in 2014, and in February 2015 was sentenced to a twelve-month term of imprisonment.[9]
While investigating the bomb hoax case, police discovered Shrimpton to be in possession of a memory stick containing forty indecent images of children. This resulted in yet another criminal case, with Shrimpton being convicted and sentenced to a three-year supervision order and a five-year sexual offences prevention order. He was also required to sign the Violent and Sex Offender Register. Shrimpton unsuccessfully appealed against the conviction, claiming that local police had planted the pornographic images in his home in order to discredit him.[2]
References
- ^ "Michael Shrimpton". Bar Standards Board. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ^ a b c O'Keeffe, Hayley (2014-10-20). "Ex-judge: 'Secret service framed me over child porn'". Bucks Herald. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ^ "BSB Statement following the conviction of barrister for "bomb hoax"". Bar Standards Board. 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ^ "Labour Activist Defects in Uxbridge". BBC. 1997. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ^ a b Shrimpton, Michael (2016-06-18). "On the assassination of Jo Cox MP". UKIP Daily. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
- ^ Shrimpton, Michael (2014). Spyhunter. June Press.
- ^ a b McConnachie, James; Tudge, Robin (2013). The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories. Rough Guides.
- ^ "Metric martyrs lose battle for pounds and ounces". The Telegraph. 2002-02-18. Retrieved 2016-06-24.
- ^ O'Keeffe, Hayley (2015-02-06). "Jail for pervert barrister who said nuclear bomb would blow up the Queen at the London Olympics". Bucks Herald. Retrieved 2016-06-22.