This is something that happened to someone I know
If details are sketchy its because I want to protect the person involved (for reasons that will become apparent). They are part of a well known party crew in SE England who did a new years rave a few years ago in a building in that area.. it went on for two days and By that time the usual smashers and taggers had rinsed the building, graffed loads of things, done in a few windows..
lots of cops turned up on the second day when everyone was sketchy and tired out; arrested a few peeps and seized the rig.
most people got let off or just got cautions and the kit got given back –
but as some of you know when you get nicked you have to give your name and address (cops often check this as well to make sure you aren’t blagging)
this person (who had claimed squatters’ rights in the building to explain why they were there) had been thought of by cops to be “organiser”. They didn’t get any major criminal penalty – maybe a caution etc..
But what they did get, sent to their bail address was a solicitors letter itemising all the damage (about £40,000 worth) and a demand for payment of this amount. Cops had clearly passed their personal address info on to the solicitors acting for the building owners…
The letter said if payment was not made would be passed to a County Court to deal with and then the debt enforced by a Civil recovery agent (debt collector).
TBH its unlikely the court case would have succeeded and the person involved moved out of area and didn’t have the assets to pay anyway – but they were still contacted several times by various “private detective” type places (who had even got access to their new addreses via their bank)
This action may stil be ongoing, certainly last year another demand was sent to this person despite them having moved several times..
Although this is the first time I’ve heard of this action being taken it already happens for shoplifters etc (I expect it was the building owners decision to make use of the info provided by cops) and if it can be done once will doubtless be done again…
