Could I go to prison for lying to the police?
I posted about this a while ago, but I can't stop thinking about it :/
Around nine months ago, I got a note through the door. It was from a detective and it had a police logo on it and it said "please call me". I was confused but because I've been having a bit of trouble with my neighbors I thought it would just be about that so I rang it. It was a local number not 101 or 999.
As soon as I spoke to the detective she told me it was nothing to worry about and that my name wasn't the name that she had. Then she started asking me how long I had lived in my house, if I worked, if I went to college, who lives here etc, and I started to get a bit wary because it didn't seem right as she wouldn't tell me what it was about and kept saying that she wanted to come to my house so that I could look at something. She said that none of my neighbours had reported me but the thing that she was investigating happened 2009/2010 which didn't seem right to me as that was ages ago and I have no idea what it could be about.
Anyway I did something stupid and lied to her about how long we'd lived here so that she wouldn't come to the house, and I haven't heard anything since. Now I'm worried that I could get into trouble for perverting the course of justice or obstructing police and I keep trying to think about what it could have been about but me and my mum both agree it must have been a mix up as she said straight away that it wasn't my name or my mums name that she had and she also asked if anyone else lived here. Even though she had already said it wasn't my name or my mums name she had she still wanted to come to 'talk to me'..
I didn't see any police identification and genuinely doubted these this person really was police because a lot of the information I was asked the police would already have access to, but should I be worried? Is it likely the police if it really was them will come back? Surely they would have checked records of how long we have lived here by now? Also, would this show on a crb check that I lied or would it not show as the police said it wasn't my name they had? I've had really bad anxiety for most of my life and this has made it ten times worse.
Around nine months ago, I got a note through the door. It was from a detective and it had a police logo on it and it said "please call me". I was confused but because I've been having a bit of trouble with my neighbors I thought it would just be about that so I rang it. It was a local number not 101 or 999.
As soon as I spoke to the detective she told me it was nothing to worry about and that my name wasn't the name that she had. Then she started asking me how long I had lived in my house, if I worked, if I went to college, who lives here etc, and I started to get a bit wary because it didn't seem right as she wouldn't tell me what it was about and kept saying that she wanted to come to my house so that I could look at something. She said that none of my neighbours had reported me but the thing that she was investigating happened 2009/2010 which didn't seem right to me as that was ages ago and I have no idea what it could be about.
Anyway I did something stupid and lied to her about how long we'd lived here so that she wouldn't come to the house, and I haven't heard anything since. Now I'm worried that I could get into trouble for perverting the course of justice or obstructing police and I keep trying to think about what it could have been about but me and my mum both agree it must have been a mix up as she said straight away that it wasn't my name or my mums name that she had and she also asked if anyone else lived here. Even though she had already said it wasn't my name or my mums name she had she still wanted to come to 'talk to me'..
I didn't see any police identification and genuinely doubted these this person really was police because a lot of the information I was asked the police would already have access to, but should I be worried? Is it likely the police if it really was them will come back? Surely they would have checked records of how long we have lived here by now? Also, would this show on a crb check that I lied or would it not show as the police said it wasn't my name they had? I've had really bad anxiety for most of my life and this has made it ten times worse.
(edited 10 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Original post by Amy17x
I posted about this a while ago, but I can't stop thinking about it :/
Around nine months ago, I got a note through the door. It was from a detective and it had a police logo on it and it said "please call me". I was confused but because I've been having a bit of trouble with my neighbors I thought it would just be about that so I rang it. It was a local number not 101 or 999.
As soon as I spoke to the detective she told me it was nothing to worry about and that my name wasn't the name that she had. Then she started asking me how long I had lived in my house, if I worked, if I went to college, who lives here etc, and I started to get a bit wary because it didn't seem right as she wouldn't tell me what it was about and kept saying that she wanted to come to my house so that I could look at something. She said that none of my neighbours had reported me but the thing that she was investigating happened 2009/2010 which didn't seem right to me as that was ages ago and I have no idea what it could be about.
Anyway I did something stupid and lied to her about how long we'd lived here so that she wouldn't come to the house, and I haven't heard anything since. Now I'm worried that I could get into trouble for perverting the course of justice or obstructing police and I keep trying to think about what it could have been about but me and my mum both agree it must have been a mix up as she said straight away that it wasn't my name or my mums name that she had and she also asked if anyone else lived here. Even though she had already said it wasn't my name or my mums name she had she still wanted to come to 'talk to me'..
I didn't see any police identification and genuinely doubted these this person really was police because a lot of the information I was asked the police would already have access to, but should I be worried? Is it likely the police if it really was them will come back? Surely they would have checked records of how long we have lived here by now? Also, would this show on a crb check that I lied or would it not show as the police said it wasn't my name they had? I've had really bad anxiety for most of my life and this has made it ten times worse.
Around nine months ago, I got a note through the door. It was from a detective and it had a police logo on it and it said "please call me". I was confused but because I've been having a bit of trouble with my neighbors I thought it would just be about that so I rang it. It was a local number not 101 or 999.
As soon as I spoke to the detective she told me it was nothing to worry about and that my name wasn't the name that she had. Then she started asking me how long I had lived in my house, if I worked, if I went to college, who lives here etc, and I started to get a bit wary because it didn't seem right as she wouldn't tell me what it was about and kept saying that she wanted to come to my house so that I could look at something. She said that none of my neighbours had reported me but the thing that she was investigating happened 2009/2010 which didn't seem right to me as that was ages ago and I have no idea what it could be about.
Anyway I did something stupid and lied to her about how long we'd lived here so that she wouldn't come to the house, and I haven't heard anything since. Now I'm worried that I could get into trouble for perverting the course of justice or obstructing police and I keep trying to think about what it could have been about but me and my mum both agree it must have been a mix up as she said straight away that it wasn't my name or my mums name that she had and she also asked if anyone else lived here. Even though she had already said it wasn't my name or my mums name she had she still wanted to come to 'talk to me'..
I didn't see any police identification and genuinely doubted these this person really was police because a lot of the information I was asked the police would already have access to, but should I be worried? Is it likely the police if it really was them will come back? Surely they would have checked records of how long we have lived here by now? Also, would this show on a crb check that I lied or would it not show as the police said it wasn't my name they had? I've had really bad anxiety for most of my life and this has made it ten times worse.
You're in the clear, nothing will happen. You definitely cannot go to prison for that lie and even if you were accused of perverting the course of justice, you didn't have a clue what was being investigated at all so you should be fine
I think you're overthinking this a bit much (way too much), don't you think the police have better things to do than this?
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Thank you so much for the reassurance guys. I keep having dreams about it and everything.. I'm worried my mum could lose her job because of me because I'm scared it will show up on her enhanced crb because the address they had was ours 
I feel guilty even though I know I've not done anything wrong that I can think of apart from lieing, I'm seriously feeling suicidal about this :/ the day it happened my mum said she should ring them back and see what they wanted and I told her it was probably a scam so now I'm scared that the police will think were trying to cover something up :/
I feel guilty even though I know I've not done anything wrong that I can think of apart from lieing, I'm seriously feeling suicidal about this :/ the day it happened my mum said she should ring them back and see what they wanted and I told her it was probably a scam so now I'm scared that the police will think were trying to cover something up :/(edited 10 years ago)
The police can't touch you. I seriously doubt it was even them, that sounds very suspicious.
The police have better things to do than arrest you for lying to them when people lie to the police constantly, every single day.
Get on with your life, I'd bet you twenty quid nothing will happen.
The police have better things to do than arrest you for lying to them when people lie to the police constantly, every single day.
Get on with your life, I'd bet you twenty quid nothing will happen.
You can lie about anything you want in an informal chat over the phone. Perhaps they'd wonder why you lied, but there's absolutely nothing criminal about what you did. It's not likely they'd even have recorded it. If you lie as part of a criminal investigation/while being interviewed under caution, or as a witness, it can be more serious (but let's be honest, I expect every criminal does this and most of them don't end up in prison).
As a brief note, if they were investigating anything to do with you, they'd have asked you to come for an interview, rather than a phone call. Informal chats over the phone with a suspect are very much banned by the regulations.
It was probably something mundane like asking if you'd noticed anything odd a couple of years ago when Mr Wilson down the road got burgled/threw a plate at his wife.
As a brief note, if they were investigating anything to do with you, they'd have asked you to come for an interview, rather than a phone call. Informal chats over the phone with a suspect are very much banned by the regulations.
It was probably something mundane like asking if you'd noticed anything odd a couple of years ago when Mr Wilson down the road got burgled/threw a plate at his wife.
(edited 10 years ago)
I'm worried that I've made my self look suspicious though and when I asked what it was about she said she couldn't tell me but the case had been handed to her from another unit :/ I am hoping they just have the wrong address or something because being accused of something I haven't done is my worse nightmare x
Original post by Amy17x
I posted about this a while ago, but I can't stop thinking about it :/
Around nine months ago, I got a note through the door. It was from a detective and it had a police logo on it and it said "please call me". I was confused but because I've been having a bit of trouble with my neighbors I thought it would just be about that so I rang it. It was a local number not 101 or 999.
As soon as I spoke to the detective she told me it was nothing to worry about and that my name wasn't the name that she had. Then she started asking me how long I had lived in my house, if I worked, if I went to college, who lives here etc, and I started to get a bit wary because it didn't seem right as she wouldn't tell me what it was about and kept saying that she wanted to come to my house so that I could look at something. She said that none of my neighbours had reported me but the thing that she was investigating happened 2009/2010 which didn't seem right to me as that was ages ago and I have no idea what it could be about.
Anyway I did something stupid and lied to her about how long we'd lived here so that she wouldn't come to the house, and I haven't heard anything since. Now I'm worried that I could get into trouble for perverting the course of justice or obstructing police and I keep trying to think about what it could have been about but me and my mum both agree it must have been a mix up as she said straight away that it wasn't my name or my mums name that she had and she also asked if anyone else lived here. Even though she had already said it wasn't my name or my mums name she had she still wanted to come to 'talk to me'..
I didn't see any police identification and genuinely doubted these this person really was police because a lot of the information I was asked the police would already have access to, but should I be worried? Is it likely the police if it really was them will come back? Surely they would have checked records of how long we have lived here by now? Also, would this show on a crb check that I lied or would it not show as the police said it wasn't my name they had? I've had really bad anxiety for most of my life and this has made it ten times worse.
Around nine months ago, I got a note through the door. It was from a detective and it had a police logo on it and it said "please call me". I was confused but because I've been having a bit of trouble with my neighbors I thought it would just be about that so I rang it. It was a local number not 101 or 999.
As soon as I spoke to the detective she told me it was nothing to worry about and that my name wasn't the name that she had. Then she started asking me how long I had lived in my house, if I worked, if I went to college, who lives here etc, and I started to get a bit wary because it didn't seem right as she wouldn't tell me what it was about and kept saying that she wanted to come to my house so that I could look at something. She said that none of my neighbours had reported me but the thing that she was investigating happened 2009/2010 which didn't seem right to me as that was ages ago and I have no idea what it could be about.
Anyway I did something stupid and lied to her about how long we'd lived here so that she wouldn't come to the house, and I haven't heard anything since. Now I'm worried that I could get into trouble for perverting the course of justice or obstructing police and I keep trying to think about what it could have been about but me and my mum both agree it must have been a mix up as she said straight away that it wasn't my name or my mums name that she had and she also asked if anyone else lived here. Even though she had already said it wasn't my name or my mums name she had she still wanted to come to 'talk to me'..
I didn't see any police identification and genuinely doubted these this person really was police because a lot of the information I was asked the police would already have access to, but should I be worried? Is it likely the police if it really was them will come back? Surely they would have checked records of how long we have lived here by now? Also, would this show on a crb check that I lied or would it not show as the police said it wasn't my name they had? I've had really bad anxiety for most of my life and this has made it ten times worse.
The fact is the person may not have even been a police in the first place.
May have been someone wanting to take your personal information... should have gone to the police station and asked for her badge number before giving your info.
A real officer wouldn't just call every now and then to ask for information.
Just say you thought it was scam or something, so you lied to protect yourself.
Nope, people lie to the police all of the time. If they had a legitimate reason to question you further they would have already done so. In this situation, the fact that you weren't aware of the crime being investigated is enough get you off of the hook.
Bottom line is: you didn't supply them with a witness statement therefore you cannot cautioned for perverting the course of justice.
Bottom line is: you didn't supply them with a witness statement therefore you cannot cautioned for perverting the course of justice.
Is that not called perverting the course of justice? I believe you could be arrested, but I don't know about prison...I suppose it depends on the nature of the crime if it something very serious then you could find yourself in a grave situation.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by kidomo
Is that not called perverting the course of justice? I believe you could be arrested, but I don't know about prison...I suppose it depends on the nature of the crime if it something very serious then you could find yourself in a grave situation.
Yes it is I think, or obstruction
but I didn't see any identification so I'm not sure if it would count x Original post by Kerch
Why would someone with police powers resort to trying to contact you using a postcard through the door?
I would probably have taken it to the local police station to check if it was a scam, and I'd be amazed if it wasn't.
I would probably have taken it to the local police station to check if it was a scam, and I'd be amazed if it wasn't.
The thing they're investigating happened 4 years ago so I thought maybe they wanted to see who lived here in case they had the wrong address I don't know :/ but even when they said it wasn't my name they had they still wanted to come and talk to me and show me something :/
I really wouldn't worry, it was just a phone conversation so you could say that you were confused under pressure, misheard the question, or doubted it was really the police and didn't want to give any personal details out.
Remember, the police are public servants and you are their master. You are not obliged to answer any of their questions, but they have to answer yours (they are just trained not to).
Never talk to the police again without legal advice beforehand and with legal representation present.
Remember, the police are public servants and you are their master. You are not obliged to answer any of their questions, but they have to answer yours (they are just trained not to).
Never talk to the police again without legal advice beforehand and with legal representation present.
Original post by FreedomCostsTax
I really wouldn't worry, it was just a phone conversation so you could say that you were confused under pressure, misheard the question, or doubted it was really the police and didn't want to give any personal details out.
Remember, the police are public servants and you are their master. You are not obliged to answer any of their questions, but they have to answer yours (they are just trained not to).
Never talk to the police again without legal advice beforehand and with legal representation present.
Remember, the police are public servants and you are their master. You are not obliged to answer any of their questions, but they have to answer yours (they are just trained not to).
Never talk to the police again without legal advice beforehand and with legal representation present.
Do you think I'm in trouble then?
Original post by Amy17x
Do you think I'm in trouble then?
No. Seriously, even if this was the police (which it wasn't, more than likely), nothing will happen, it's easy enough to get out of
.Around nine months ago, I got a note through the door. It was from a detective and it had a police logo on it and it said "please call me".
Still could have been someone winding you up/trying to scam you. For April Fool's Day a few years ago I created a police letter with the West Midlands Police logo on, made some rubbish up about being caught on speed camera & breaking section something or other of the road safety act or whatever it was & sent it to my sister who was doing her driving lessons at the time.
She fell for it and **** herself
.Absolutely nothing will happen.
Original post by Amy17x
Do you think I'm in trouble then?
No, but in the unlikely event that you are, you could easily talk your way out of it.
Another thing, never allow the police to come into your home for a 'friendly' chat. Tell them that you will be in contact soon, get legal advice then proceed to talk to them with a solicitor present at a police station.
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Valdo Calocane gets hospital order- Families of the victims are angry about it
- For harrasment does someone get a warning first or no warning
- 5 careers for mental health nursing graduates
- Leaving sixth form?
- Should I report this flatmate to the police? They have comitted a serious crime.
- Relationships as a police officer
- Someone has threatened to leak my nudes if I don’t pay them, what can I do?
- Criminology graduate - looking for relevant jobs
- Movie/tv show recommendations?
- Can someone please grade this for me?
- Money Muling
- Am confused! Don’t know if his lying or not
- I'm scared of getting arranged marriage
- 5 careers for criminology and criminal behaviour graduates
- Scared of where I am living
- 5 careers for Law Graduates
- Police application, former drug use
- I got excluded for this, is this right?
- Volunteer
- India Willoughby reports jk rowling to the police
Latest
Last reply 3 minutes ago
Official: University of Aberdeen A100 2024 Entry ApplicantsLast reply 4 minutes ago
Latest time to apply for the means tested part of the maintance loanLast reply 5 minutes ago
LSE Economic history departmentLast reply 6 minutes ago
Amazon Project management apprenticeship 2024Last reply 7 minutes ago
Official UCL Offer Holders Thread for 2024 entryPosted 14 minutes ago
Best SEO Service Company In USALast reply 18 minutes ago
BA (hons) Philosophy at University of London/OU student finance queryLast reply 19 minutes ago
BTEC H/S Care Unit 4: Enquiries into Current Research in Health and Social CarePosted 25 minutes ago
Dissertation survey https://forms.gle/GUYmoXv6ssRJumjH7Last reply 28 minutes ago
Official University College London Applicant Thread for 2024Trending
Last reply 3 months ago
About the NCUK IFY Program for university Studies in the UKTrending
Last reply 3 months ago
About the NCUK IFY Program for university Studies in the UK
