A family was detained at gunpoint while having tea, as armed law enforcement reacted to a false kidnapping report.
The unnamed family was sitting at their residence on December 30, when they noticed flashing lights outside on Denton Road, Newcastle.
One family member ‘opened the door to encounter an officer brandishing a firearm, instructing him to lie down,’ Omar Ahmad, the prosecutor, informed the court.
The police apprehended four individuals in the presence of two young children, one of whom—a boy aged 11—collapsed in tears.
Authorities were on the lookout for balaclava-wearing kidnappers wielding a machete, which Ricki Kendall, also known as Curry, claimed to have witnessed dragging a man into the residence.
However, the entire scenario was a hoax. Mr. Ahmad stated: ‘It quickly became evident that the defendant had entirely concocted the report he provided to the authorities.’
‘The police indicated that 72 hours of their time were squandered, resulting in a total expenditure of £4,140.’
Thorough CCTV investigations uncovered no evidence to support Kendall’s claims.
Officers discovered no weapons within the home, and no one else reported the event, despite Kendall persistently providing a description in his statement to law enforcement.
But the damage had already been inflicted. Family members endured 15 hours in custody, and news of the police raid circulated extensively on social media and the news.
In a victim impact statement, one family member articulated: ‘Since this incident, I have not felt like myself.’
‘Seeing the event reported in the media and on social platforms has affected me. I encountered comments demanding that individuals like us be removed from the streets, along with other racial slurs.’
‘All my family was doing was having tea. I’m both frustrated and saddened that someone would perpetrate this upon us.’
Another family member stated: ‘I had never been inside a police station before, much less been arrested. I was separated from my family for something I did not commit.’
‘My 11-year-old brother witnessed the ordeal and was in tears and terrified. I cannot understand why someone would report an abduction. I want clarity on why this was done to us.’
A third individual mentioned: ‘Each time I hear sirens, I relive those flashbacks. I cannot comprehend why anyone would act in this manner.’
‘The police caused damage to my home’s furniture.’
Mr. Kendall, aged 30, of Valley View, Lemington, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to the charge of perverting the course of justice.
He also admitted to robbery after he threatened a taxi driver with a knife, taking £110 of their earnings while on bail for the previous offense.
Mr. Kendall, with a history of 39 previous convictions, received a total prison sentence of 53 months for the two charges.
During sentencing, Judge Andrew Stubbs KC remarked: ‘You were experiencing a mental health crisis. You repeatedly contacted emergency services, but they were not responding as you wished, leading you to fabricate a severe allegation, claiming that someone had been kidnapped or assaulted and taken into a property.’
‘Numerous armed officers were dispatched to that location and detained individuals, who remained in custody for 15 hours, wasting what amounted to nine days of police resources, involving firearms officers who have far more pressing matters to attend to.’
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