Hi,

ive received a phone call today from the police stating that they want to come to my house and talk to me about an issue, a serious one.

Question is, do I allow this or do I insist that it is recorded and that I am represented by a solicitor? Would that be in my best interests?

Thank you.

pers id co-operate.

it will prob be recorded by their body cameras anyway

Hi,

 

ive received a phone call today from the police stating that they want to come to my house and talk to me about an issue, a serious one.

 

Question is, do I allow this or do I insist that it is recorded and that I am represented by a solicitor? Would that be in my best interests?

 

Thank you.

It depends.

Ask them if they wish you only to be interviewed as a witness to a serious matter, or are a suspect in a serious matter.

If the latter : would you want free legal advice or pay your own solicitor?

If the latter ask your solicitor

If you would want to have the free legal advice from the duty representative, tell them that you’d want to be interviewed at the police station UNLESS:

a) they say it is a serious matter, but expect it to be shown to be a false accusation very early on and very easily. If in doubt : police station, legal advisor.

Its up to you but ONLY ever say anything when accompanied by a solicitor. No matter if its serious or minor.

If its serious, then you speak to them at the station accompanied by a solicitor. Don't take the risk.

If your cautioned thensay nothing, apart from I wish to seek legal representation before answering questions.

Record them! Tell them you are doing so but as it is your home, you don't have to tell them anything. If the police 'want' or 'need' to visit rather than 'ask' if they may visit you, I would be wary. Some police ( but certainly not all) use this tactic to avoid the need to get a search warrant. If you are suspected of committing a crime, demand they arrest you and take you to a police station.

If you have witnessed a crime, make sure the questioning is not of the sort that could incriminate you. They may not be there to be convenient to you but as a tool to look around to see if there is something visible that could have been 'obtained' or 'used' in a criminal act.

I'm not against the police in any way but I have met a few that have their own agenda. To catch you out. If in doubt, would ring back and state that you would prefer a meeting at the police station.

that will breach s44 of the Terrorisn Act.

Phone them back and ask them what it is about and yes, go to police station instead because thye all have CCTV and recording in all rooms

that will breach s44 of the Terrorisn Act.

Phone them back and ask them what it is about and yes, go to police station instead because thye all have CCTV and recording in all rooms

S44 of the Terrorism Act is repealed, but I’m not sure that is the section you mean ....

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/11/section/44

As i already said, if its serious like they say, go to the station and do it formally. Not have them come to your house and ask you dodgy questions without representation.

It’s about someone who was murderd some years ago and they’ve only just been able to identify him.

Apparently, he was last seen in the town with me and another guy, they said it’s nothing to worry about and just want to talk to me. This guys body ended up miles away in another town a few months after he went missing.

I haven’t been informed that it is an interview or anything like that.

They are travelling down from up north tomorrow afternoon, so need to know whether to cancel and request it’s done at my local police station with a solicitor or do I talk to them tomorrow with a friend present at my house? Hope someone can help quickly.

But as stated it’s abkut someone I knew who went missing years ago and I may have been the last person to see him in my town before he went missing, I might not have been but apparently no one else saw him after me and my friend.

Thank you.

nothing to worry about then.

Really? So they can’t twist anything despite the fact it wouldn’t be recorded?

I am seriously considering cancelling and seeking advice first.

Purely because all they have said is that they want to chat.

They haven’t said whether they are talking to me as a possible witness or suspect and they haven’t informed me of any rights whatsoever.

i have never been asked before to have the police round my house for a voluntary “chat”?

if you have done nowt wrong you have nothing to worry about..

dx

I don’t but that’s not the point.

I’d feel safer that whatever is said is properly recorded.

Also, I’ve never been asked to do something like this at home before.

They also haven’t made it clear if this is just a so called chat or an interview at home, this is unknown territory for me so I’m going to postpone tomorrow and seek advice first which I think is sensible.

I don’t know if they are classing me as a witness or suspect or possible one of either or what? They haven’t made anything clear, or what the procedure is or what my rights are?

That makes me cautious because even though I’m not involved and don’t have anything to worry about, things need to be done properly and also as a vulnerable person I need to protect myself and also use my rights.

You could always say you don't want to be interviewed and have nothing to say. There's absolutely nothing compelling you to talk to them.

I’ve cancelled today, stating I would like to seek advice, I didn’t say advice, just legal advice.

I feel bad accepting and then declining as it may make me look bad, but I did also state to them that I have no information for them which is true because I barely knew the guy and I don’t know anything about his disappearance.

I will seek some advice today, and it will either be that I’ll say that I don’t want to be interviewed by them or if a solicitor advises to talk to them under formal circumstances with a recording then I may do that. I’ll see what a solicitor says first.

Cookie, try to get a lawyer who's used to dealing with the police. You can find local specialist ones on the Law Society website, Find a Solicitor.

HB

I’ve contacted a few legal aid soilicitors today who specialises in criminal law but they said they can’t offer free legal advice because I haven’t been accused of a crime?

You have done the right thing.

Go to a police station when they eventually contact you and say the truth.

Make sure not to drift out of what you clearly remember, there's no harm in saying that you don't remember something.

After years memory can be confused between reality and what is called false memories, something processed by the brain to feel like a real fact when it's not.

Will update later.

You have done the right thing.

Go to a police station when they eventually contact you and say the truth.

Make sure not to drift out of what you clearly remember, there's no harm in saying that you don't remember something.

After years memory can be confused between reality and what is called false memories, something processed by the brain to feel like a real fact when it's not.

I barely knew him, met him a handful of times and when I last saw him I can’t even remember what we were doing or where we were, all I know is that he either walked home alone or with the other guy, he went missing 17 years ago, his body was found 16 years ago but it’s only just been identified, I have no info for the police at all.

When they contacted me informing me it was about so and so, I didn’t even know who they were referring to and thought they had contacted the wrong person, I didn’t even know his surname, only his first name, that’s what I mean I barely knew him and have no information for the police, I can’t help them as I don’t know anything helpful to assist them.

Good just tell them that then

Surely I canÂ’t tell them that on the phone without them having to travel for hours to come to my house to do it?

Finally found a legal aid solicitor who is phoning them to clarify the situation and also that if they need to talk to me if it would have to be at the station and they will represent me also.

They said I did the right thing not having them here.