So why aren't they? Do they think this sort of thing won't happen to them?
Julian Foulkes, from Gillingham in Kent, was handcuffed at his home by six officers from Kent Police – the force he had served for a decade – after challenging a supporter of pro-Palestinian marches on X. Police body-worn camera footage captured officers scrutinising the 71-year-old’s collection of books by authors such as Douglas Murray, a Telegraph contributor, and issues of The Spectator, pointing to what they described as “very Brexity things”.
I spent Saturday binge watching 'Zero Day' on Netflix, and the reaction of the American people to Bob De Niro's character getting a bit too fascist in his hunt for cyberterrorists was quite a contrast to the supine way the UK public treat outrages like these ones. Yes, it is fiction, but my god....
Mr Foulkes’s house was searched, with officers seizing his electronic devices and removing them to a waiting police van. Officers also rifled through his most personal belongings.After his home was searched, the retired special constable was locked in a police cell for eight hours and interrogated on suspicion of malicious communications.
And I think no-one really knows how they'd cope with that, or what they'd do to get out, no matter how wise in the ways of the law they might be...
Fearing that further escalation could impact his ability to visit his surviving daughter, who lives in Australia, he accepted a caution despite having committed no offence.
Hard to blame him.
The incident took place in November 2023. This week, Kent Police admitted the caution was a mistake and deleted it from Mr Foulkes’s record.
Because of the 'Telegraph's interest?
On Saturday, a Kent Police spokesman told The Telegraph the force had “concluded that the caution against Mr Foulkes was not appropriate in the circumstances and should not have been issued”. The spokesman said “Kent Police expunged the caution from the man’s record and was pleased to facilitate this correction”, adding that a further review of the matter would now be carried out “to identify any learning opportunities”.
Ah, if only. They appear incapable of that.
A Home Office spokesman said: “This incident occurred under the previous government.
A (nominally) Conservative government, remember.
H/T: Chris Parry via Twitter
14 comments:
‘First they came for the Communist and I did not speak out….’
Except this time ‘they’ are the Communists, the Socialists and the Trade Unionists - or at least their official enforcers - and we dare not speak out because we might be next. (The Jews are still on the list though; some things never seem to change….)
I’m sure - like many people - I have enough on my bookshelves to guarantee a day or so of questioning if I ever stuck my head above the parapet and caught their attention.
Never mind the apology and whinging of "lessons will be learnt", every single officer involved in this shameful episode, including the senior officer who despatched the six, and the custody Sgt who accepted the arrest as lawful, and ordered detention in a cell, should all be hauled before the IOPC, and personally sued. In addition, as every act by a Police officer is with the implied knowledge and permission of the Chief Constable, the buck really should stop there. Unfortunately, as I learned during my Police career, responsibility is like water, in that it always ends up at the lowest possible level. A shameful episode indeed.
Penseivat
Appalling behaviour and I won't even try and defend my ex-colleagues.
Three things spring to mind. Why did he accept a caution? It's not as if he was beaten up and the pen put in his hand and as an Ex-Special he would have known the law.
A caution has to be issued by an Inspector or above. This person needs to be sanctioned.
Lastly why did this take so long to come out and only after media interest? Why did this man sit on this for so long?
Intruiging....
Jaded
This happened under a previous government... For the last forty years there has been no noticeable difference between the parties in government. The only conclusion is that they are all in thrall to outside control. The who, the why and the what of this work of ages can only be bad for us little folk.
Aren't the police supposed to have a warrant before they search people's houses? In the past the police were usually pretty careful about following procedures and due process because they could find themselves in serious trouble if they trampled on someone's rights.
"A Home Office spokesman said: “This incident occurred under the previous government."
Ah, so are we to take it that the current government is clamping down and putting a stop to this kind of thing then?
Stonyground.
Samizdata are covering this story. I'm happy to hear that this guy is taking legal action.
Stonyground.
NAL but.
The process is the punishment. They will drag it out 'til they get bored hoping you will say something to incriminate yourself. It's not easy, but you must stay in control of yourself and remember, no-one in there is your friend.
They are better than nothing, but duty solicitors are random. If you get a good one, you are lucky. If not, they can make your situation worse. Ideally get your own, the best one you can afford. Guilty people need a good lawyer, innocent people need a very good lawyer.
Your solicitor will tell you that a guilty plea is an option to reduce your punishment. They have to tell you that, it doesn't mean your solicitor thinks you are guilty, it doesn't mean anything.
As is shown in this case, it's tempting to take a caution so you get released. Do not take a caution if offered. If they have a strong case, you won't be offered a caution. If you then do go to trial, your defence will use the offer of a caution as a way of demonstrating the insignificance of what you are accused of. They all know this.
I have a ton of true crime and a lot of African and Indian hunting memoirs, so god knows what they'd make of me!
And I doubt it won't ever be repeated...
People don't really understand what a caution IS, so they accept it. The only savvy people are criminals.
Correct, it's the Uniparty.
I hope he has really good lawyers.
Sure, who wouldn't believe them? 😏
One of the old police blogs had some really good advice for normal, ordinary law abiding folk who found themselve arrested, I must refresh my memory.
Post a Comment