Man Arrested in Peckham Over Sale of Morgan McSweeney's Stolen Government Phone
Metropolitan Police have arrested a man in connection with the sale of a mobile phone that belonged to Morgan McSweeney, former chief of staff to the prime minister. The 28-year-old was apprehended on Wednesday, 29 April, at an address in Peckham on suspicion of handling stolen goods. He has since been released on bail.
The phone was stolen from Mr McSweeney in Pimlico, London, in October 2025. Authorities state the arrested individual is suspected of receiving and reselling the device after its theft, but is not implicated in the original larceny. The phone remains unrecovered.
The theft came to public attention earlier this year as the government released documents concerning the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US. Mr McSweeney, an ally of Lord Mandelson, had advised the prime minister on the selection, a decision he later described as a mistake given Lord Mandelson's associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speculation suggests the missing phone could contain communications relevant to the appointment process. The device was stolen approximately one month after Lord Mandelson's dismissal and several months prior to parliamentary demands for the release of pertinent messages.
Mr McSweeney reported the theft at the time, though police initially recorded an incorrect location. The Metropolitan Police faced criticism over their initial handling of the case, leading to the publication of Mr McSweeney's 999 call transcript in March. Police confirmed Mr McSweeney did not disclose his senior government role or the security implications during his initial report.
During a parliamentary committee appearance last month, Mr McSweeney stated he informed Downing Street immediately after the theft. He maintained that any relevant messages concerning Lord Mandelson's appointment had already been shared with Number 10 following Lord Mandelson's sacking in September 2025, over a month before the phone was stolen.
