Question on preventing theft

[steveindenmark]

If I lock my bike up and remove an item off the bike that would make it unsafe to ride. I dont mean adding something to make it dangerous, like a live wire from the house. Would I be liable if a thief stole it and had an accident?

It is a hyperthetical question. Personally I would say it was rough justice, but am not sure on the legal standpoint.

 

[stephec]

I'm with you, if you've locked it up so that someone has to go to a lot of trouble to be able to take it away then it's their own fault.

If they hadn't have been thieving in the first place then they wouldn't have got hurt.

 

[Slick]

There is a collection of clips on you tube where they left a bike with an unsecured wheel I think it was and filmed it getting nicked only for it to fall apart about 50 yards away. Quite funny but obviously it could be fake.

I think you would be fine as long as you didn't intend to cause harm.

 

[Dirk]

If I lock my bike up and remove an item off the bike that would make it unsafe to ride. I dont mean adding something to make it dangerous, like a live wire from the house. Would I be liable if a thief stole it and had an accident?

It is a hyperthetical question. Personally I would say it was rough justice, but am not sure on the legal standpoint.

What specific item do you have in mind to remove?

 

[numbnuts]

Could you be charged with a form of entrapment

 

[Drago]

If I lock my bike up and remove an item off the bike that would make it unsafe to ride. I dont mean adding something to make it dangerous, like a live wire from the house. Would I be liable if a thief stole it and had an accident?

It is a hyperthetical question. Personally I would say it was rough justice, but am not sure on the legal standpoint.

Here in the UK at least, if its done with the knowledge and intent that it may cause someone an injury then it could be construed as an assault. That the light fingered toe rag shouldn't be riding it in the first place is neither here nor there, the law doesn't alow us to injure sheets for mere sporting purposes. Umfortunately.

 

[postman]

It could be a faff,and i know how much goes in to setting up a saddle right height and so on,but taking the saddle with the seat post out every night would put a thief off.

 

[stephec]

Could you be charged with a form of entrapment

Isn't that more to do with actively encouraging someone to have a go though, like deliberately leaving the boot lid of your car up and waiting for a tealeaf to take a peek inside it?
If you lock something securely you would be doing the opposite.

 

[Drago]

There is no entrapment defence in UK law. You commit a crime, it's on you. That someone else may have made it so tempting that you couldn't help yourself is neither here nor there.

 

[TheDoctor]

I'll often use the brake QR to relieve cable tension when leaving a bike unattended.
I've never considered what might happen to a bike thief.
I shall continue to not consider it.

 

[vickster]

It could be a faff,and i know how much goes in to setting up a saddle right height and so on,but taking the saddle with the seat post out every night would put a thief off.

This, also stops the saddle being nicked! Who, however, willingly leaves their bikes outside at night?

 

[steveindenmark]

It was a discussion we had on a Brompton site. There are some places you cannot take your bike inside. I suggested using a D lock and removing both the steering clamp bolt and the frame clamp bolt, so the bike could not be assembled to ride.



.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

First of all there's the issue of the legal system of the country it happens in.
Secondly, there's probably reason to consider civil liability as well as criminal liability.
I believe that @Drago is correct in looking at intent. If the intent is to harm then you're most likely going to having some form of trouble.

 

[Drago]

Intent, or mens rea, is everything.

 

[si_c]

It was a discussion we had on a Brompton site. There are some places you cannot take your bike inside. I suggested using a D lock and removing both the steering clamp bolt and the frame clamp bolt, so the bike could not be assembled to ride.



.

I think removing the bolts so it can't be assembled is fair game. Removing brake caliper bolts on the other hand might not be.