Woman steals back her bike

[Cycleops]

Sad that getting your property back now has come to this:

https://dailym.ai/2Ed4wJ5

 

[Slick]

Yeah, I reckon even I could get a prosecution out of that lot if it's all true.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘All information was reviewed and it was decided that there was insufficient information to proceed with an investigation.

 

[Smudge]

Nice one, respect to the woman.
And total disrespect for how utterly useless our police service has become for anything less than serious crimes..

 

[numbnuts]

It's a wonder the police didn't arrest her for stealing her own bike

 

[raleighnut]

Well done to her.

 

[Drago]

I read that. The details differ slightly depending on where it's reported. Nevertheless, quite possibly a poor show indeed.

 

[mustang1]

It's a wonder the police didn't arrest her for stealing her own bike

She didn't steal her own bike (it's hers, so it can't be theft?)

 

[DaveReading]

She didn't steal her own bike (it's hers, so it can't be theft?)

Under certain circumstances (though not those above) you could indeed be guilty of stealing your own bike.

 

[lane]

On the other hand given the penalties reported in other threads - 8 weeks in prison for example for stealing bikes or 13 weeks for a second offence in as many weeks - if that is how seriously it is taken by the courts - how much police time / cost investigating and prosecuting is realistically justified?

 

[Smudge]

I just seen a trailer for the Dispatches documentary, on next monday 8pm CH4....
Its called 'Lawless Britain Where Are the Police'..... Apparently an increasingly number of victims of crime are saying their cases aren't being properly investigated.

 

[mustang1]

Under certain circumstances (though not those above) you could indeed be guilty of stealing your own bike.

I'll give you a 'like' if you tell me how so?
(I'm sure there is otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned, I really want to know?)

 

[DaveReading]

I'll give you a 'like' if you tell me how so?
(I'm sure there is otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned, I really want to know?)

Imagine you have taken your bike to the LBS to have, say, the gears indexed. When they ask you to come and pick it up, you insist on a test ride and promptly scarper without paying. Technically you have stolen your own bike because at that point, until you had paid for the work, it was in the possession of the LBS.

I admit I haven't heard of that happening, but there are a number of documented instances of car drivers being convicted for the equivalent (Google "R v Turner (No 2), 1971", for example) and the Theft Act makes no distinction between cars, bikes, etc.

 

[Drago]

Imagine you have taken your bike to the LBS to have, say, the gears indexed. When they ask you to come and pick it up, you insist on a test ride and promptly scarper without paying. Technically you have stolen your own bike because at that point, until you had paid for the work, it was in the possession of the LBS.

I admit I haven't heard of that happening, but there are a number of documented instances of car drivers being convicted for the equivalent (Google "R v Turner (No 2), 1971", for example) and the Theft Act makes no distinction between cars, bikes, etc.

Correct. In that scenario, the bike shop now have a financial interest in the machine are are co-owners until the liability os settled, ie, the bill paid. If the owner decided not to pay the bill, and snuck in through an open window and took the bike back without paying he would be committing a theft.

Pretty much the same scenario in the motor trade. Most bobbies will have been to a job when a skint owner has taken their car in, had £1000 of repairs done, and then quietly wandered in with the spare key and retrieved the car without paying. Theftaroonie, try on my new handcuffs.

 

[mustang1]

Imagine you have taken your bike to the LBS to have, say, the gears indexed. When they ask you to come and pick it up, you insist on a test ride and promptly scarper without paying. Technically you have stolen your own bike because at that point, until you had paid for the work, it was in the possession of the LBS.

I admit I haven't heard of that happening, but there are a number of documented instances of car drivers being convicted for the equivalent (Google "R v Turner (No 2), 1971", for example) and the Theft Act makes no distinction between cars, bikes, etc.

Thanks for that, I did not know (but it sounds obvious now that I think about it). I read a long time ago if you are unhappy with the food at a restaurant then you can pay for part of the meal (assuming you have eaten only a small part of it) to the value of what you believe it to be. I wonder if you can do the same with a bike/car/whatever service.

 

[Drago]

Yeah, you can. If there's a genuine dispute it's civil.