A British businessman who spent a night in a police cell after posting holiday pictures of himself legally holding a shotgun in the United States is planning to sue the force involved and leave the country for good.
A LinkedIn Post Sparks a Police Investigation
Jon Richelieu-Booth, a 50-year-old IT consultant from Keighley, West Yorkshire, says he endured what he describes as '13 weeks of hell' following his arrest. The ordeal began after he uploaded photos to his LinkedIn profile in August, showing him posing with firearms, including a shotgun, while on private land in Florida, where such activity is entirely legal.
He considered the images to be nothing more than light-hearted holiday snaps celebrating his 50th birthday. However, the following day, on August 14, a police officer visited his home to warn him about a complaint regarding the post. Mr Richelieu-Booth, who has no criminal record, immediately offered to provide proof the photos were taken in the US but claims officers declined to view it.
Arrest and Dropped Charges
The situation escalated dramatically on August 24, when two officers returned to his home after 10pm and arrested him. He was held on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, with a bail document also referencing an allegation of stalking related to a separate photo of a house on his social media.
Mr Richelieu-Booth believes the complaint originated from a contractor who owes him approximately £30,000. He was held overnight in a cell before being interviewed and released on bail until late October. He alleges police visited his property three more times before he was re-arrested in October for an alleged bail breach, though no action followed.
Ultimately, the firearms and stalking allegations were dropped. However, he was then charged with a public order offence relating to another LinkedIn post from August 18, in which he had urged the contractor to 'do the right thing'. The charge of displaying writing with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service a week before his scheduled November 25 court appearance, citing insufficient evidence.
Life Upended and Plans to Emigrate
The businessman says the experience has shattered his faith in British policing and made him feel unsafe in his own country. 'I don't feel welcome in this country anymore,' he stated, adding that the 'Orwellian' actions of the authorities had destroyed his reputation and left him unable to work after police seized his phone and laptop.
He has instructed lawyers with a view to taking legal action against West Yorkshire Police, claiming every officer involved should be 'suspended, investigated, fired and prosecuted'. Mr Richelieu-Booth now plans to resettle in Florida with his American partner, praising the United States for being 'a lot freer'.
The case even drew comment from billionaire Elon Musk, who tweeted in support, linking the incident to American constitutional protections. West Yorkshire Police stated they investigated a complaint of stalking involving serious alarm or distress, relating partly to social media posts that the complainant took as a threat. They confirmed a man was charged with a public order offence but the case was discontinued by the CPS.
