British Justice - MINI Cooper Forum

Brushy · #1 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 03:39 PM

Recently I was driving through the centre of York at 5.30 on a monday evening. A girl (early twentes) was walking towards me in the middle of the road. ..she stopped about six feet infront of me, and started to wave and laugh. I thought it was just a Mini thing, wrong. She walked to the front of my car and the to my amazement climbed onto the bonnet. There was a car behind so I could not reverse. The idiot who she was with dragged her off the car as I got out. No knowing if my car was damaged I called the police and carried out a citizens arrest on her. I did not raise my voice or hit her. The girl and her partner were drunk. In the next five minutes I suffered verbal abuse from both of them. Just as the police came around the corner the girl (who i was holding) grabbed my jumper neck and let her weight go. I put her to the floor and removed her fist from my jumper, saw the police and let her go. She promptly ran off. The police caught her and brought her back. To my astonishment the police officer came back and told me that she did not want to press charges! What, I am the complainent. I was told by the police office that I had used unreasnoble force and she could arrest me. Fortunatly my car was undamaged (she was small and wearing trainers) and this lead to another potential problem as I was informed that given there was no damage to my car what I had done was infact unlawful arrest. Fortunatly a shopkeeper came out and offered to be a witness saying that I had not used unreasnoble force. The police officer suggested that I counted myself lucky not to be arrested.
British Justice, I don't think so

Tone · #2 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 04:45 PM

That sucks! If some airhead had sat on my pure silver MCS would like to think that I'd have done the same.

Shamster · #3 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 04:54 PM

sorry to hear the news - you know just going into your post about this event made make think - I bet either he is made to be the criminal or the police won't show any interest.

A sad indictment on our police force and judicial system.

oldnell · #4 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 05:03 PM

At work, we recently had a laptop and projector stolen from our offices. The police wouldn't even come out and wouldn't speak to any of the people who were known to be in the building at the time, including cleaners who were on video taking a bag out of sight around the corner.

Brushy · #5 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 05:07 PM

Just to add insult to injury I got stopped doing 86 on the York bypass, £60 and 3 points. Was that another crime solved?

Rich-UK · #6 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 05:59 PM

The police are now just glorified tax collectors.

You'll get in trouble if you get caught taking the law into your own hands. So don't get caught

Bonjour · #7 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 06:23 PM

We need more vigilante groups, that's what we need!

R1 · #8 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rich-UK
The police are now just glorified tax collectors.

You'll get in trouble if you get caught taking the law into your own hands. So don't get caught

Quote:

Originally posted by Bonjour
We need more vigilante groups, that's what we need!

I'm with you two on this!

Tommy Cooper S · #9 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 06:53 PM

There is a Police programme about city centre Manchester on Friday nights at around 11:30. One week they arrested 4 youths on suspicion of kicking a police van, the evidence a shoe print on the passenger window. No damage but they detained them, got forensics to examine the van and the guy's trainers. They later released them without charge!

Great use of tax payers money!

Tommy

Speedd · #10 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 07:30 PM

Hey Martin

Sorry to hear of the delinquents you encountered. As for the plod/old bill, well I know exactly where you are coming from as I had an incident a few months back where three guys jumped out of their car, one with a metal object. All because I beeped at them for recklessly cutting in front of me.

I was held back by the Mrs for coming out of the car and asked to drive off. She took the registration plate and we drove to the police station

queued for nearly 2 hours and not even a report was written buy the duty imbecile *&$%£.

Came out of the station furious that I should have done something at the time of the incident but it takes a better person to walk away from trouble

or so I am told.

The good thing is that you car was not marked and you were ok, but it just shows where we stand with the Boys in Blue..
mm

I'd love to have a few drinks and see what they would say if I jumped on the bonnet of their Senator

Brushy · #11 (**permalink**) Mar 6th, 2003, 08:00 PM

I asked the police officer to arrest the girl for a breach of the peace. The reply was that she had not breached the peace.

I said. I was at peace and my peace was breached so surely it must be a breach of the peace so arrest her.

Officer. I can't she is upset and has to get home to her baby. (big tears from drunk idiot)

Just about says it all don't you think?

good job there was no damage

MICKEY · #12 (**permalink**) Mar 7th, 2003, 07:28 AM

And the police wonder why there loosing respect from the public.

I suppose it doesn’t matter what trade you work in, you'll always get a useless idiot who's not prepared to do there job properly, martin I think you just met that person.

Nosdrovni · #13 (**permalink**) Mar 7th, 2003, 08:41 AM

Although I wouldn't want it happen to me/my mini and I'm very glad your car didn't get damaged, and I absolutely hate vandalism and drunks/dopeheads in general, I wouldn't be that hard on the police force. Although it's easy to put down what they did there, it is *not* an easy job.

No, I'm not a police officer, but I don't like one-sided remarks about police officers (for example them being tax collectors and such) (no offence Rich-UK). Arresting that girl for breaking peace (and yes she did so) would probably have accomplished nothing more then some paperwork (and more tax money gone). The police are very aware of that, and it's not their fault. If nothing is broken/damaged and peace is restored, they will normally leave it as it is, cause that is the best sollution with current laws and all.

Don't take my point too litteraly, I'm just trying to show an other side of the issue

greetz,
Nos

Rich-UK · #14 (**permalink**) Mar 7th, 2003, 09:30 AM

I agree this particular incedent ended with no-one or nothing getting hurt, but in the UK, police don't take burglary, assault or almost any form of crime seriously (except speeding fines) unless it's political flavour of the month, they actually witness it happening or it's caught on camera.

I'm not blaming individual officers because they have a very difficult job to do with no backup from the courts or their superiors, but it is sadly the case in the country, that if someone harms you or your property, you're better off exacting your own punishment than watching the criminal make a mockery out of the out of date and ineffective justice system.

Bonnie Scotland · #15 (**permalink**) Mar 7th, 2003, 11:31 AM

Nosdrovni, with no action being taken against the woman she is able to go out and do it again, maybe next time she stands on your bonnet and does cause damage.
The justice system in this country is corrupt and unfair to the legal citizens who just want to get on with their individual lives. Sadly all too often incidents like Martin's occur with no action taken by the police.
Yes there is paperwork to do and no they cannot be bothered over a trivial matter, but we have our rights as well.

Rant over

Bonnie Scotland