Teenager wins three-year battle to clear name after wrongful arrest
A TEENAGER has spoken of his relief after winning a three-year battle to clear his name after being wrongfully arrested.
David Robson was awarded more than £6,000 compensation after a court ruled his arrest, aged just 14, was "unlawful".
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Victory: David Robson and his father Tony. Picture: Simon Kench
He was arrested by PC Hayley Hart in June 2007.
David had initially gone to Bridlington police station to make a statement about death threats his father Tony has been getting.
PC Hart, who was aware the family kept shotguns, said the family's seven guns would have to be confiscated, as she feared they could be used in retaliation.
His father protested at them being taken away, and he was arrested for obstructing a police officer.
David then said he would stop the officer getting the guns and PC Hart immediately arrested him as well.
He was locked up for several hours, before being released without charge.
But he pursued a civil claim against the force over the arrest.
David, now 17, told the Mail: "I just wanted people to know that I should not have been arrested.
"It was not a pleasant experience and I feel the officer had lost her temper and lashed out – I was young and the comment was silly but arrest was unnecessary."
Sitting at Hull Crown Court, Recorder Christopher Attwooll found in favour of the teenager, deeming the arrest to breach the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
He said: "I conclude that the arrest was disproportionate. "It was a disproportionate response to the situation as a whole as no other avenues were explored.
"I find there were no reasonable grounds for believing arrest was necessary and according to PACE it was disproportionate, in the sense that it was premature."
David's legal adviser, Andrew McGowan from Neil Hudgell Solicitors, said: "As you can imagine, David is delighted his name has been cleared entirely, which was his main concern as an intelligent young man hopefully bound for university."
His father Tony, from Marton Road, Bridlington, told the Mail: "It was a nonsense then and it has finally been proved to have been so.
"We trusted the police to look after us and I have always brought my son up to respect authority and the law – on that day the power was abused and my 14-year-old son suffered."
David was awarded £6,150 in compensation.
Superintendent Ray Higgins, head of the professional standards branch, said: "We acknowledge and respect that the court has ruled the individual was wrongfully arrested and has been awarded compensation.
"However, investigations at the time into the actions of the officer, both by us and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), did not uphold the complaint and found the officer had not breached the code of conduct."
9 Comments
by Sue Robson, Bridlington
Sunday, May 15 2011, 8:27AM
“I would just like to say through this website thanks to all the support we have had throughout this ordeal.
Peter Bravey from Portsmouth, you were so right in your statement about the 'cost to our family' throughout in clearing Davids name. Our lives were on hold for three and a half years whilst my husband had to obtain the information to clear David, something you do when you love your child.
Karl,Sutton, we gave the police over 3 years to admit Davids arrest was unlawful and issue an apology. If they hadnt been so stubborn then there wouldn't have been a payout as you say 'at the taxpayers expense'.
The police are like us, get things wrong, but hold your hands up and admit it instead of messing with people's lives!”
by Victims R Us, Hull
Saturday, May 14 2011, 11:35PM
“@pete bravey
The Police will take you into custody for anything nowadays they arent bothered about the expense ,There was a fourteen year old boy taken into custody at priory road for over ten hours for allegedly spilling tomatoe sauce outside Mc Donalds a few weeks ago , the duty solicitor alone cost the tax payer £200 ofcoarse the c-p-s ruled no further action to be taken , the police are outrageous they realy are .”
by Pete Bravey, Portsmouth
Saturday, May 14 2011, 10:00PM
“Karl Sutton: the monetry cost to the family having to go through the process of clearing David's name was much more than the compensation.
The money received isn't the valuable thing here,.
Some things are more important, for one, ensuring that your precious taxes are spent on lawful and appropriate arrests of real criminals in future.”
by Presumed, At Bilton
Friday, May 13 2011, 12:58PM
“Reminds me of the time a Plod was behind me in his police car, i saw him through my mirror whilst driving sneakily eating a banana, he turned into Tower Grange Police Station with one hand. If you are reading this PC Plod, you are a very lucky constable, you would not have let me off.”
by Victims R Us, Hull
Friday, May 13 2011, 10:52AM
“Well done David I am amazed how you managed to get the case to court especially after the I-P-C-C knocked it back ,having said that the I-P-C-C would rubber stamp stevie wonder having a driving license if the police told them to”
by Presumed, At Bilton
Friday, May 13 2011, 9:49AM
“Deserves every penny he got, well done David. I just have to think of that newspaper seller who died after being pushed by that copper at the g20 march in London. It makes me so angry, i know they are all not like that but some of them are power barmy”
by Chimney Portions, Beverley
Friday, May 13 2011, 9:35AM
“Hopefully you got your shotguns back as well.”
by Karl, Sutton
Friday, May 13 2011, 8:49AM
“Ker ching!!, another stupid copmpesation payout to be footed by the tax payer.”
by Eleanor, at home
Friday, May 13 2011, 6:59AM
“Delighted for you both. He can go to Uni now without fear of a conviction hanging over him. As for the officer being cleared of wrongdoing, well she would be, wouldn't she?”