A woman has received compensation after being falsely imprisoned following a protest.
Kate attended a peaceful demonstration in July 2004 against the building of a laboratory which carries out animal experiments in Oxford.
During the protest, Kate walked through a building site and back again and was subsequently spotted by a security guard who seemed upset that she had gone unnoticed. Kate was surrounded by numerous police officers who insisted upon a search. Kate gave her details but was arrested (under the Vagrancy Act) and subsequently taken to Oxford Police Station where she was informed that she had been found on enclosed premises. Kate denied this but nevertheless was kept in custody, interviewed and released several hours later without any charge.
Kate found the officers’ actions aggressive and intimidating causing her to fear violence.
A claim for false imprisonment and assault and battery was intimated which has resulted in an out of court settlement with help from Iftikhar Manzoor of Irwin Mitchell's specialist Police Actions Team.