A retired Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector has admitted to participating in drug-involved ‘chemsex’ sessions arranged via Grindr while working as a TV pundit on crime and policing issues.
Career and Admissions in Court
Peter Kirkham, who served 21 years with the Met Police and rose to Detective Chief Inspector before retiring in 2002 with an unblemished record, confessed at Kingston Crown Court to using cocaine, MDMA, crystal meth, GHB, and cannabis during these encounters. He described himself as ‘promiscuous’ and detailed sexual activities with men met online, including occasional threesomes, insisting all were consensual.
After leaving the force, Kirkham launched a security consultancy and became a frequent commentator on platforms like Sky News, Channel 4, GB News, and the BBC, offering expert analysis on crime and policing matters.
Serious Charges Facing Kirkham
Kirkham stands trial on multiple counts, including rape, sexual assault, and coercive behaviour against two vulnerable young gay men—one aged 18 at the time of meeting and the other in his 30s—who remain unnamed for legal reasons. Additional allegations involve having sex without disclosing his HIV status.
Separate charges accuse him of possessing 13 Category A indecent images and two videos of children, plus six Category B images and three videos, all on or before September 27, 2024. Kirkham denies all nine offences and claims the men seek to ‘ruin his life.’
The court heard he provided the men with drugs and housing at his Twickenham home after meeting them. The younger man, bailed to Kirkham’s address following his own charge, allegedly endured abuse until fleeing.
Key Court Evidence
A distressing phone call from the younger man to police was played, in which he begged for help, alleging Kirkham forced him to take drugs and perform unwanted sex acts. Body-worn footage showed officers searching the home, with Kirkham requesting a solicitor when asked for his phone PIN.
Prosecutor Mark Fenhalls, KC, suggested Kirkham made the younger man financially dependent. Kirkham rejected this, stating the man had his own key and freedom to come and go. He confirmed consensual sex with both men multiple times—at least ten with the younger—while always using PrEP to prevent HIV transmission. He described them as friends he assisted, not romantic partners.
Under cross-examination, Kirkham explained leaving the force after multiple commendations, having achieved his goals. A former drinker, he later explored recreational drugs during Grindr hookups, listing his profile as open to chemsex. ‘I’m ashamed to say I am promiscuous,’ he said. ‘I would usually meet just one person. Later, if they wanted, there could be a threesome… but it is always consensual. I have never had sex with anyone without consent in my life. I have never had any sex with anyone who has been asleep.’
He dismissed one specific allegation as physically impossible due to his knee issues.
The trial continues.
