Victim of False Imprisonment Paid Compensation by Prison

Mr P was charged with four counts of theft between December 2016 and January 2017. On 16 January 2017 Mr P attended Court where he pled guilty to all charges. Mr P was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment in total. He was remanded into custody following sentencing on 16 January 2017.

Mr P expected to be released after six weeks of serving his sentence. Although not applicable in all cases, prisoners serving a sentence of less than 2 years must be released on license halfway through their sentence under the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014. Mr P should have been released after 6 weeks of his 12 week sentence, which would have been on 27 February 2017. However, Mr P was not released until 20 March 2017.

Due to his late release, Mr P lost his council home which he had lived in for 10 years. He was therefore left homeless when he was released.

Mr P pursued a claim for false imprisonment and for breach of the Human Rights Act 1998 in respect of the 21 days he had continued to be detained in custody for. Following pre-action correspondence in which the prison admitted they had erroneously detained Mr P, the claim was settled and he received damages for what he had been through.

Very sadly, Mr P tragically passed away during the course of his claim. We would like to take this opportunity to once again extend our sincere and deepest condolences to Mr P's family for their loss.

Mr P and his family were represented by the Civil Liberties Team at Saunders Law.

If you suspect you may have been unlawfully detained, you may be able to bring a civil claim against the police and/or prison services.

Importantly, deadlines will apply to your case. The deadlines will depend on the facts of your individual case, and there are steps that should be taken before the claim is issued. We therefore suggest that if you suspect you have been falsely imprisoned, you seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Civil Actions Specialist Legal Advice

At Saunders Law, we offer expert legal assistance and representation in civil claims against the police and against other government authorities, including for false imprisonment, assault, malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office and under the Human Rights Act. We can also assist you in making a complaint against the officers involved. We're well-known for actions against the police and other state authorities, and take a thorough and determined approach to cases, working hard to ensure that you obtain the appropriate level of damages for the wrong that you have suffered. All of our solicitors within the Civil Liberties and Actions against the Police Department have extensive experience in this area.

For a free, no-obligation, initial discussion to see if we might be able to help, please contact us on 020 3811 3592 or make an enquiry online.