A 79-year-old pensioner named Bobby Carmichael from Beaumont Leys was arrested and held in custody for 15 hours, accused of murder, only to find out that the deceased man was someone Carmichael had known for years. Leicestershire Police launched a murder probe after he and a female friend stumbled across the body in Castle Gardens, Leicester.
A 79-year-old pensioner says his life was turned into a “nightmare” after he was hauled off by police and locked in a cell for 15 hours on suspicion of murder, only for officers to later admit the man found in a city park had died of natural causes.
Bobby Carmichael, from Beaumont Leys, was arrested alongside a female friend after she stumbled across the body in Castle Gardens, in Leicester, on Thursday evening . The pair had been out searching for a “lost doll” when they made the grim discovery, spotting the man’s body hidden in a bush just before 8pm, Leicestershire Live reports. The entire park was soon cordoned off by Leicestershire Police as the force launched a murder probe, arresting a 46-year-old woman and Bobby.
But, a post-mortem examination would later conclude that the man, in his 40s, had died following a suspected medical episode. Detectives confirmed the investigation was called off on Friday and that both people arrested had been released with no further action taken.
However, Mr Carmichael has branded the way he was treated by police as a 'disgrace'.
'My friend who I was with said she lost something of hers - a doll - the night before,' he explained to Leicestershire Live. 'I waited in the car, and as she was coming back, she saw the body. 'I don't know what happened with my friend, but she found what she was looking for, and while she was looking, she saw this body. I told her to phone the police.
' The pair returned to Bobby's home but were disturbed by a knock at the door as they watched TV. 'After about 9pm, the police came round,' the pensioner described. 'They took my friend away, and she never came back. I had a policeman here watching me, and then one of them came in and just said, 'Alright, let's go.
'' Having initially said he had no idea who the deceased man was, Mr Carmichael would later discover it was someone he had known for years through taxi driving in Leicester. Mr Carmichael said: 'I'd known him for a long time, but I didn't know it was him. He was a good friend, but we fell out. I was gutted when I found out who it was.
' He described his time in custody as 'a nightmare' and the police response as 'over the top', adding that he was concerned about the police cordon at his home. 'The police apologised to me as I was picked up for nothing and locked up for the night. Fifteen hours,' he stressed, 'I just can't believe it. It's a disgrace.
Fifteen hours, and they came in and just said they were sorry. You phone the police to tell them there's a body there, and you end up getting banged up.
'You never know who's going to see it and turn up outside. That's the lowest of the low, really, when you're innocent and don't know what they're doing. It was vile and just horrible. The police apologised to me, but it's too late for that.
' Want to see more of the stories you love from Belfast Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives... To add Belfast Live as a preferred source, simply click here. Leicestershire Police has confirmed that an investigation will be conducted on behalf of HM Coroner to determine the circumstances that led to the man's death.
Officers were obliged to make the arrests based on the information available at the time, according to Detective Inspector Lorna Granville, the senior investigating officer, adding that the cordoning off of the area and the arrests were lawful and made in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. DI Granville said that following the post-mortem examination on Friday, which concluded the man had died as a result of a suspected medical episode, both individuals were released with no further action taken.
She added that officers had spoken with those arrested to explain why the actions were necessary and 'acknowledged the distress the situation may have caused them'.
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