The Siege At Badrook Farm

Police Report Form

Report by PC Rob Rennie

At 21 30 hours on 22 Aug 2220 we received a phone call from Mrs Rachel Smith.

She had been driving along the B221 road when a naked man stood in front of her car and flagged her down. At thought he was a perverted flasher, but realised that flashers don't usually flag down cars. So she stopped and wound down her car door window.

The man asked if she could phone the police, but she had no mobile phone. The man then begged her to tell the police that there was a madman with a shotgun in Badrook Farm and a woman was in danger.

The naked man wanted a lift to his house. Mrs Smith refused. She then left him, returned home and phoned our Police Station.

I knew that Henry Jones, the owner of Badrook Farm, had a firearms licence. I knew that he was married to Julia.

It was credible that there could be a siege situation, with Mrs Jones being held hostage.

I notified the Specialist Arms division. They advised they could attend in 1 hour and they didn't want to mobilise the team on a possible prank call.

They instructed me and 2 other officers to survey the area and report back to them.

SURVEY

PC Sam West, WPC Victoria Ambrose and I donned full protective clothing and went towards Badrook Farm.

On the way there WPC Ambrose noticed Mr Jones's car parked in a lay by. It was locked and there was no sign of Mr Jones.

We continued. The naked man flagged us. He told us that he was Chic Richards. He confirmed that Henry was indeed holding his wife hostage.

I asked why he was naked. He informed me that he had been in a long-term adulterous affair with Julia.

As far as Chic knew, Henry, was unaware of Julia and him having an extra-marital relationship. But Henry must have come to suspect that he was being cuckolded.

Chic informed me that Julia and he used the farm for sex when Henry was away. On that day, Henry must have pretended to have a meeting, because Julia had invited Chic over to have a good time.

Chic assumed that Henry must have hidden to try to confirm his suspicions. Chic's theory might account for Henry's car being parked well away from the house.

Chic reported that Julia and he went upstairs to use the marital bed. They had been having bondage sex, with Julia naked and handcuffed to the bedstead.

Unexpectedly, Chic heard Henry coming up the stairs. Without any time to dress, Chic attempted to flee the scene. But Henry had a shotgun and told Chic to get back inside the bedroom.

Henry was very angry his wife, calling her all kinds of insults. It became apparent that Henry knew that people called his wife 'Chic's whore'.

Chic told Henry that Julia had seduced him.

Chic's actual words were 'the sexual urge is strong especially when the opportunity to copulate is offered on a plate'. It was just 2 people having a fun time.

Henry told Chic that he would have been amenable to a cosy 3some. But Chic had been indiscrete and now everyone knew. Now both Chic and his wife would have to pay the price.

Henry asked his wife if she was going to continue to have sex with Chic. Julia told Henry that she was going to leave him. She told her husband that would be Chic's fuck-buddy.

In vain, Henry asked Chic if he could give up having sex with Julia. But Chic told Henry that he couldn't and wouldn't.

According to Chic, Henry then said "Well fuck you" and went berserk. He smashed everything in sight. Chic feared for his and Julia's lives.

At gunpoint, Henry got Chic to make a pile of Julia's clothes. Once Chic had done this, Henry got Chic to add his own clothes. Then Henry got Chic to set fire to them. But once they were all ruined Henry let Chic put the fire out.

Chic wasn't able to confirm if the shotgun was loaded.

Henry let Chic go. He found his car heavily damaged, the tyres had been slashed, windows broken and cow slurry had been poured into it.

I immediately radioed the Armed Response division to confirm that it was a hostage situation with a woman bound by handcuffs in the upstairs bedroom and her husband with a shotgun which was probably loaded.

The Armed Response police had to persuade Henry to come out. But he didn't respond.

An armed policeman get in by the unlocked back door. He found Henry sobbing like a child. He only had an unloaded shotgun. Julia was still naked and handcuffed. She had soiled the bed. She told us where the keys to the handcuffs were.

Clothes were found for both Chic and Julia. They left together. We took Henry to the police cells. He was in distress and so we gave him coffee and a meal. We put him on a suicide watch. But once he settled he slept without waking until 06 30 hours.

We called a doctor to assess Henry's mental health. The doctor decided that he wasn't in a fit state for questioning. The doctor advised that Henry should be held under the Mental Health Act for 2 weeks for rehabilitation and assessment.

There was another wait because a MH detention must be signed by 2 doctors. The second doctor agreed that Henry should be detained for his own good.

After the 2 weeks of rehabilitation, Henry agreed to a voluntary detention in the psychiatric hospital.

Only 13 months later did Henry regain his sanity.

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S)

Henry had surrendered his shotgun licence and we hold it as evidence.

I have informed Henry that we have noted that we will oppose any subsequent request for a licence.

Henry's wife has requested that we do not charge her husband in relation to her false imprisonment.

Chic's car insurers wrote off his car and paid for a new one. He had an insurance policy with no excess so had no financial loss. He feels badly since he caused Henry's mental collapse. He doesn't want us to charge Henry with willful destruction.

I recommend that we consider this case closed.

DECIDING OFFICERS DECISION

Given the MH issues the chance of a conviction is low.

I agree all PC Rennie's recommendations.

Signed

Superintendent Brian Rose MBE.