A court officer today pleaded guilty to taking a £500 bribe in the first prosecution under the 2010 Bribery Act.

Munir Patel admitted the charge of bribery and misconduct in public office when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court. He will be sentenced on 11 November.

Patel was working as a court administrative officer at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court in east London when he asked for the money in exchange for ‘getting rid’ of a speeding charge.

Gaon Hart, senior crown advocate for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said Patel’s conduct ‘has brought into disrepute the criminal justice system as he sought to undermine the very laws which he was employed to uphold.

‘The public rightly expects criminal cases to be dealt with fairly and professionally, and the police, courts and the CPS have all worked together to deal with this case swiftly and robustly.’

Patel was the first person to be prosecuted under the Bribery Act 2010, which came into force in July this year.

He also faced seven charges of possessing false garage receipts for use in fraud, which have been ordered to lie on file.