Blue in Munich
Crocked Professional Yeti Impersonator
And how do they know that the bloke had a solid alibi until the alibi had been tested?
Gatwick Airport: Drone sightings cause delays
- Thread starter Robster59
- Start date
And how do they know that the bloke had a solid alibi until the alibi had been tested?
Kellfire
Blackballed
Exactly. Just because the public think being arrested indicates guilt doesn’t make it the case. The correct process was followed.
howbow88
Hacker
His employer confirmed he was working. The police usually check these things but as mentioned earlier in this thread, the employer had to chase them up.
All quite bizarre.
howbow88
Hacker
We'll see when an inevitable enquiry is held as to whether this really the case.
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
A lot of tin foil needed - have a feeling if the police didn’t follow up any reports then they would be criticised, they followed up something , people were questioned and released , the people who were arrested don’t seem to be making a drama out of it
As for the chance of no drone - the police are just covering all angles, they just said they can’t rule out the possibility of false reporting.
Seems at time they can’t win the police - if they hasn’t reacted and a drone hit a plane imagine the reaction
As for the chance of no drone - the police are just covering all angles, they just said they can’t rule out the possibility of false reporting.
Seems at time they can’t win the police - if they hasn’t reacted and a drone hit a plane imagine the reaction
Kellfire
Blackballed
That’s my exact take on the situation. Police are often damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
They weren't just questioned though, they were arrested - there's a fairly big difference. They'll be keeping quiet on the advice of lawyers, who will be working to get some pretty hefty settlements out of media outlets for intrusive reporting and probably the police for false imprisonment with an nda keeping them quiet. Failing that they'll have an exclusive in a Sunday paper before long.
I fully agree the police should be looking into all lines of enquiry, but in this specific instance it appears they got a lot wrong, and with potentially life changing consequences for the wrongly accused are rightfully being scrutinised. As for the media, they'll keep acting in a despicable way unchecked and cry 'freedom of the press' whenever challenged by authority.
Kellfire
Blackballed
They will NOT be done for false imprisonment. Being arrested is a standard procedure during an investigation. They will have had grounds to make that arrest. You have a complete misunderstanding of the process behind such a thing.
The vast majority of people who are arrested are not charged.
howbow88
Hacker
That's how I see it. The police should absolutely follow up leads, but that doesn't mean arrest at the first instance. This is what happened here and why I'm critical of these actions.
howbow88
Hacker
What's that based on?
Kellfire
Blackballed
Because the police must have some reason to arrest. That’s the law. But they don’t have to release that and especially not with an ongoing investigation!
Kellfire
Blackballed
You don’t think they should arrest someone in an incident where there are ongoing airport closures and a potential national security risk attached to that?
Are you serious?
howbow88
Hacker
So you're basing it on trusting the police have done their job correctly? That's fair enough, but I'm afraid I don't have as much trust in the Sussex Police.
howbow88
Hacker
Not if their 'evidence' is, at best, utterly tenuous.
I will show my cards a bit now and say that the couple who were arrested are friends of friends. The whole thing is laughable, as we will all find out in the coming months.
Kellfire
Blackballed
I have no great trust for police but they will have had evidence that they felt was enough for arrest during a serious investigation. Of course that may be challenged but at this stage someone will have an auditable record of why these arrests occurred.
Anyone who was suspected was always going to be arrested given the nature of the situation - they will seek to protect the biggest number of people.
Kellfire
Blackballed
It might be tenuous in your opinion but look at the gravity of the situation. They were obviously going to act very decisively on any intelligence they received. I think that’s correct.
howbow88
Hacker
The 'intelligence' they received was that the bloke was obsessed by drones. The police acted quickly, and in my opinion, wrongly. As said, we'll all see in the coming months whether the police action was justified or not, most likely via an investigation.
I get that without full facts any rational person would think that there is more to these arrests, but I'm afraid there isn't.
I get that without full facts any rational person would think that there is more to these arrests, but I'm afraid there isn't.
Kellfire
Blackballed
And if so, they will have judged that tiny morsel against the ongoing situation and taken a calculated gamble.
Being arrested infers no guilt. If they do take legal action, then they’re idiots.
howbow88
Hacker
Being arrested means the police should have reasonable belief that they were involved. Because the bloke lived nearby and loves drones doesn't sound like reasonable belief to me.
Kellfire
Blackballed
With no other leads and the gravity of the situation, it’s feasible. I’d expect that to be enough after that amount of time.
As someone said before - imagine if they didn’t act on that knowledge and worse happened.