Thomas Catcheside, 67 (pictured above with his wife), is chairman of his residents' group in Cambridge.
Mr Catcheside has been trying, for three years, to resolve a problem of 'slippery stairs' in his block of flats.
For three years Mr Catcheside has been trying to get help with a problem of 'slippery stairs' from City Homes, a housing association which runs council housing for Cambridge council. The stairs in the block of flats where Mr Catcheside resides are unsafe he says.
When an official from City Homes visiting the site prevented Mr Catcheside from listening to a phone call to his supervisor on 30 October, he finally lost his temper and said: "Don't you tell me what I can and can't do in my own ***ing place."
The official complained of feeling 'threatened' and six days later Mr Catcheside was arrested at 5.35am on suspicion of 'causing harassment, alarm or distress in a public place'.
He was ordered to get dressed and then was taken to a police station where he was held for six hours before being given an £80 fixed-penalty notice and released.
What is this country coming to when our judges allow rapists to wander the streets and yet arrest a grandfather in the middle of the night for swearing, possibly from pure frustration, at a council official.
There will be plenty folk in Cambridge very willing to show this particular council official the real meaning of feeling threatened. As many have said we really are becoming a police state.
Update: Of course Mr Catcheside didn't have to accept the fixed penalty notice. He should have refused to co-operate and called a lawyer. Thanks to Quiet Man.
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12 comments:
Morning Subrosa
Such police ‘actions’ are indeed becoming more and more prevalent, and a worrying development. Especially when the police appears to be acting at the behest of another ‘authority’.
I recently put up a similar case of heavy handed police work, my pensioner was luckier; he was released on bail after nine hours in the cells. After a very worrying few days, all charges were dropped.
http://dalgrambich.blogspot.com/2009/10/to-sleep-perchance-to-dream.html
Morning John, I must have missed that post of yours, I don't usually do that.
It's frightening. Who do we turn to in times of trouble now?
The thing about this is the guy didn't even threaten the official, the offensive language was aimed at the state of his dwelling.
It's actions like this that will lead eventually to mass civil disorder because people are being systematically criminalised by petty jobsworths to the stage where they wont care anymore, treat me like a criminal and sooner or later I'll behave like one, they can't lock us all up.
Sad thing is, Mr Catcheside didn't have to accept the fixed penalty and the case would (probably) have been laughed out of court. You should never accept a fixed penalty, always get a lawyer and always refuse to co-operate until you have a lawyer.
I should have put that info on the post QM, maybe I'll add it as an update.
If it were me I'd be writing to my MP, MSP, Chief Constable - anyone.
Waking someone up at that time in the morning to arrest them just isn't on.
Isn't there a law somewhere which says 'reasonable hours are between 8am and 10pm'?
Daily Telegraph today - No need to worry folks - news just in that Puff the Magic Mandelson is to become "Minister of Information". Phewww - it's a relief to know that our private snippets will be in his hands.
Hi SR
As has been said elsewhere, there are more of us than them.We pay their wages, to run the country for the benefit, note benefit, of the entire country,not just for power trips and to fill the pockets of aparatchiks.
Push the sheeple far enough and they will react, drastically, and in this day and age, God help the authorities that cause it, because there would seem to be a feeling of resentment in the country,higher than it has been for,I suspect, centuries, towards ANY manifestation of government as it currently behaves.
Thousands of new laws,more in the last twelve years than in the six hundred before, just to oppress the people. The only people who might think they are safer are the "rulers",and they are in a fools paradise.
They should perhaps get "education, education, education" and learn the lessons of history, before it is too late.
D.
Aye Clarinda, I'm just in the middle of writing a wee bit about that. Mick Mandelson and his sinister spin.
Hi Apogee
I'm beginning to wonder if we're being pushed into mass civil disorder as Quiet Man suggested.
But labour politicians are educated Apogee, they've all been part of the union system and surely you know how well educated the heads of unions are.
Their ability to milk their members is second to none.
Apogee
Well said!
Off with their goolies!!
Hi SR
Just thinking about this incident again and I wonder if the fear of the council official was not personal/physical, but the fear that his authority was being questioned...! And eventually the entire administration!
And if there is riot and "insurrection" could this be used as an excuse for the EU to be invited in by the government to "pacify" and to take over direct control of the country??
No more elections??! Mind you,another thought; has the EU the military capability to do this? Or the will?
D.
5.35am - how very gestapo. It seems that the early morning raid is the business these days - fine tactic if you are intercepting heavies or terror suspects, but a pensioner? You'd get him at 8.30am still trying to pull on his socks!
What a performance. I wonder what goes through the heads of the police men and women when they are orderd to do that. Moe importantly - what was the briefing to them?
SR
Labour politicians are educated..!
I take it then they all went to approved schools to learn their "trade".........?
D.
PS. Think we're all singing from the same hymn sheet here on this thread......!
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