July 2008

Perv is a Tory councillor

TORY chiefs are demanding that a newly-elected councillor quit after he was exposed as a violent paedophile with a 41-year history of crimes.

Pervert Robert Richdale got the backing of the local party faithful in leader Michael Howard’s own constituency despite having 30 convictions involving 65 offences and FIVE jail sentences.

In 1973, Mr Richdale received a six-month sentence after pleading guilty at Sheerness Magistrates Court to indecently assaulting underage girls.

Speaking to the Folkestone Herald about an incident which took place in 1997, he said he received a caution for a sexual crime involving a girl of 14.

The 54-year-old unemployed chef had a landslide victory in the local elections last month, winning 431 votes for a seat on Folkestone town council.

In his campaign the father-of-two called himself a “family man” with a “compassionate personality”.

But what he failed to mention was his shocking record which covers TEN pages of A4 paper and goes back to 1963.

It includes sex offences, convictions for assault, theft, causing death by dangerous driving, forgery, drugs possession and carrying a weapon.

Last night The Sun tracked the councillor down to his filthy flat in the Kent town, where he tried to get us to pay him £20,000 for talking to us.

Standing in a pair of torn jean shorts and showing his tattoos, he said: “Now this is out I’m screwed.

“I’ll have to move, I can’t stay here any more.”

Richdale’s most recent incident of a sexual nature involved being cautioned over a 14-year-old girl who visited his home in 1997.

He claimed he hit her after waking up to find her having sex with him.

Richdale, who sat on his bed with soft toys he keeps in his flat, added: “She was the sort of girl who helped herself.

“I knew some sort of offence had taken place. But I’m not a sex case.

“I wish everyone was like me.”

Richdale, who boasted of meeting Mr Howard twice, claimed he wanted to be a councillor because he was “brought up middle-class” and was persuaded to stand by the local faithful.

He also said the Tories had little formal vetting procedure claims which were all denied by the party.

The party which is prevented from checking criminal records under present legislation has now expelled him and demanded he resign as a councillor.

Chairman Jonathan Holborow said yesterday: “This is a serious internal matter from Mr Richdale’s complete failure to disclose vital matters.”

Folkestone mayor Ann Berry said: “I have only met this person twice.

“I was pretty shocked to hear all about it.”