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Wrongful Arrest: Birthmark Clears Woman of Riot Charges
6 Aug
Summary
- A woman was wrongly arrested for riot offenses after being misidentified.
- Officers searched her home extensively, causing her distress and feeling violated.
- The police force settled a legal claim but denied any wrongdoing in the arrest.
A woman from Liverpool has spoken out about feeling violated after a wrongful arrest on suspicion of riot offenses. Jacqueline Cowdall, 53, was shopping when alerted to eight police officers at her Toxteth home. She was detained for over four hours before Merseyside Police accepted she was not the individual seen on CCTV footage, partly due to a distinctive birthmark on her arm.
Following her release, Cowdall discovered officers had searched her home, causing her distress. She described her belongings, including her underwear drawer, being rifled through. The force has since settled a legal claim for wrongful arrest, though they deny fault, stating they acted on information deemed reliable at the time of the incident.
