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ARRESTED FOR TELLING YOUTHS TO GO HOME

Jo Calvert-Mindell was 'disgusted' after appearing in court on racism charges

Friday July 25,2008

By Mark Reynolds

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A WOMAN last night spoke of her disgust after she appeared in court on racism charges – for telling a group of noisy university students to go home.

Jo Calvert-Mindell, 51, a former policewoman, was arrested in her nightgown four months after the incident and charged with using racially aggravated threatening words or behaviour.

Now, after another four months of “hell”, the charges have been dropped and Ms Calvert-Mindell, a Lib Dem councillor, said: “The last thing I am is a racist.

“I think there is something very wrong when a resident can’t go out and try to prevent crime and disorder and encourage the defendants to go back home, and that they can then play the race card to completely absolve themselves of any responsibility for that behaviour.”

Cllr Calvert-Mindell, who is also a former social worker, had called officers to report a group of eight drunken University of Kent students who were repeatedly waking her and neighbours in Canterbury last November.

When she stepped out of her home to confront them, she said: “Why can’t you go back to where you come from and make some noise there? I bet your families and neighbours wouldn’t put up with it.” But two Asian students in the group complained and officers went to arrest her.

She said: “One of the officers told me I had 10 minutes to get dressed or they were taking me to the station in my nightgown. My 10-year-old grandson was crying because of the way they spoke to me.”

A DNA sample, fingerprints and a statement under caution were taken at Canterbury police station. She then appeared before Folkestone magistrates in May, where she denied the charge.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: “There is no longer sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.”

ABUSE OF PROCESS

25.07.08, 11:51am

Firstly, it is reported elsewhere that a Superindendent from Kent police has stated that "there was a complaint made and we investigated it fully"; in fact, there were two complaints made, one of disorderly behaviour made by this unfortunate lady, and another by one of the Asian students.
Kent Police chose to ignore the public order offence and concentrate their efforts on the politically-correct thought crime.
Secondly, why was this woman arrested for what is in law a minor offence and not asked to attend a Police station as a "voluntary attender"?
The fact that an offence has been committed is not in itself sufficient grounds to arrest.
She had been identified, the Police obviously knew how to contact her and she was unlikely to flee. There was no pressing need to preserve forensic evidence and the voluntary attender system was hardly likely to hinder a "prompt and effective investigation". Given that the students had probably moved on, there was little likelyhood of the offence being repeated and it is unlikely that this lady needed to be protected or anyone needed protection from her.
So, within the rules of the PACE Act, what exactly were the grounds for her arrest?
If Kent police can't answer this question, their victim should sue for wrongful arrest.

• Posted by: Stonmeister • Report Comment

HMMM ....

25.07.08, 10:57am

This woman is a LibDem councillor.

The LibDems are a party committed to having large numbers of young people each year go to unversity at the expense of the taxpayer.

I have never known the LibDems - or anyone else - argue that state-funded higher education should be the preserve of well-behaved people.

I would like it if any student who engaged in an anti-social act, even on a single occasion, would be immediately expelled from their college or university - not to be allowed back in.

I don't think this will ever happen though, because I don't think any of our politicians are really that bothered about law and order.

• Posted by: Peltast • Report Comment