Teen Arrested After Turning in a Mobile Phone that He Found

[82Rigger]

A college student who found a mobile phone while out celebrating his 18th birthday was arrested after handing it in to police.

Teenager Paul Leicester was arrested for 'theft by finding' and detained for four hours.

The Southport College A-level student eventually had the case against him withdrawn but said it was a 'shocking experience'

Paul said: 'Being arrested isn't a way to celebrate your 18th birthday. What are you supposed to do when you find a phone? I told the last caller I would drop it off at the police station the next day. But they arrested me for theft by finding.'

The teenager was kept by Merseyside Police in Southport police station for four hours and had his fingerprints taken, along with a DNA swab and a photo for police records.

Officers then grilled him for 15 minutes about the alleged 'theft'.
Paul, who is of good character, has a Saturday job at a jewellers and is held in high regard by his teachers.

The former Birkdale High School student, who lives in Seaforth, added: 'I want people to be aware of what happened. I thought I was doing the right thing and had it thrown back in my face.

'I would not go to the police in future. All I was doing was the honest thing. It was a shocking experience.'

Paul's father Vinnie Leicester, 37, said: 'I'm disgusted and angry. It should never have happened. Paul's Mom and I have brought him up the right way. It's ridiculous.'

A police spokesman explained the complaint of theft was subsequently withdrawn and Paul was released without charge.

Sefton Area Commander, Chief Supt Ian Pilling, said: 'As a matter of course we are reviewing the circumstances of the arrest.'

[SuperScout]

Here we have the latest example of official abuse of power. But there are so many unanswered questions as to make the mind boggle. What the sam hill is "theft by finding"? The very name is illogical, and amounts to a defense lawyer's wet dream. I hope the young man and his family sue the police, the city authorities who wrote that bizarre law, and anybody else involved in this miscarriage of justice. And what city is all this insanity occurring? I'd like to know, so as to avoid these bozos entirely.

[Keith_Hixson]

I found a cell phone and turned it in. No one challenged me. If someone is turning a phone in, in all likelyhood they didn't steal it. They must have mentally retarded police in Merseyside.

Keith

[revwardoc]

In the immortal words of Archie Bunker, "England is a fag country!"

People think the US is too politically correct but it doesn't hold a candle to England. Fire Departments are urging a change to uniforms that would add turbans and robes in order to attract minorities to join; kids aren't allowed to play pickup games of soccer because they might be injured, and children's games like sack races and 3-legged races are banned for the same reason. And that's just a few reasons why its called The Nanny State.

[SuperScout]

But isn't that what we're becoming? Children can't play 'Tag' anymore, no more 'high-fives,' all because some member of the whiners and snivelers brigade might object. And it's inviding the adut world: we now have the State being the Official Wage Rate Determinator, of how much some executives can earn. And kindly note, dear readers, that the Salary Czar has not placed his jackboot across the neck of the Hollywood elites or the NBA, NFL or MLB. Yet.

We are overdue for a good revolution.

[revwardoc]

We have revolutions every 2 years. They're called presidential and mid-term elections. If done properly we can rid ourselves of known crooks, liars, and idiots and replace them...with unknown crooks, liars, and idiots.

[reconeil]

WOW!!!,...are Merseyside Police that short on BRAINS & ACTUAL Crimes & Things to do?

Don't they have any semblance of a PBA to guard against such, either?

After all, and even though never a Cop or in REAL Law Enforcement, I must believe
that all PBAs nationwide pretty-much frown upon such asinine type: "Make Works", Authority
Waste & Just-Plain-Stupid Policing,...whether cop or people punishing or Standard Norm.

Besides & infinitely more sensibly,...just WHOM are Merseyside Police Dept. ACTUALLY:
supposed to "Protect & Serve" ANYWAY? The Cell Phone Companies?

What a truly looney perversion of Law is obviously being perpetrted in Merseyside.
Never even saw such nonsense in Law Enforcement on TV with: "Mayberry Police" types.
Hey,...Maybe such was just a test run for start of some hinky new Cop TV Series?

Neil