I don't see those posters on this thread. Funny that.
I don't see those posters on this thread. Funny that.
Well, here's one of them...and only too ready to acknowledge I was wrong. Now these further details have emerged, it's had to imagine that there's anybody over here who would argue that the police actions were not, to put it mildly, excessive. As far as I know we've yet to hear any reasoned explanation from the police themselves, and it's unlikely we will until the prosecutions of the intruders are complete - but given that the main offender has pleaded guilty, that's unlikely to take long.
It's difficult to imagine they'll be able to come up with anything which will prevent a successful action before the Police Complaints Commission, and/or a suit for wrongful arrest. (And in defence of the British system, it ought to be said that such actions are very often successful - the police are far from immune when they get things wrong.)
It would, however, be a mistake to see this case as typical of the way police behave in such situations. As usual, it's the untypical which makes the headlines. For what it's worth, here again are summaries of the rigorously timetabled procedure which provides plenty of checks and balances from the moment somebody is arrested or detained. Assuming these procedures were followed (and the police will be given a hard time if they weren't), it will be interesting to see what grounds they offer to justify the continuing detention. My guess is they will make great play of the fact (as appears to be the case) that the couple chose not to contact the police themselves, so that all they had to go on was whatever story the wounded intruder spun them....