any advice on avoiding stolen bikes

[Neil]

whatever their reasons for why i was treated in this manner are still quite unclear to me my health was affected as i went from cycling many miles a day to nothing for the time they had my bike perhaps they did believe there may be more stolen goods on the premises but the fact of the matter is there wasnt so yes they did transport my stuff around for no reason so you are right. i have walked away from many a purchase in the past because something did not feel right about the transaction i am glad the bike went back to its original owner as it should. i have had bikes stolen from myself in the past and understand the upset this causes
i guess this has turned into a bit of a witch hunt why dont i post my address and you can all come and dunk me in the local duck pond or burn me at the stake?

Personally, I don't see it as a witch-hunt.

I just think there's something a bit off about it all - either we're not getting the true picture, or you're not explaining it all. There seems more to this than meets the eye - are you known to the police, have you been in trouble with them before? What did they seize? The bike in question, your laptop, and your mobile, or did they seize more than that (other stuff, or other bikes)?

That's all, and that's the only reason I personally have said what I've said - which I'll leave there, as it is - I just can't believe that all they were interested in was one bike that was considered stolen - if that were the case wouldn't they just come 'round and talk to you about that, first, before firing up the Quattro and swooping in with Gene Genie at the fore.

 

[gerryattrick]

If you knew you were innocent you had nothing to worry about, so unsure why it affected your health.

So the police / law courts / CPS never make mistakes, and only the guilty should worry?

There are loads of cases of people suffering ill-health or worse after being accused/suspected of crimes they didn't commit.

 

[grover1979]

as i have rigorously explained they took anything bike related the stolen bike my road bike my xc bike unfortunately i did not have the receipts for the other bikes as i had owned them for a while but i think they would have taken anyway even if i did perhaps i need to contact them and try to get some answers to these questions as im as puzzled as you are. I do know i could have been riding that bike for a number of years not knowing its true history as many others are probably doing as we speak that is the point i was trying to get across all i know is i would not buy another bike unless i was shown an original receipt i guess that rules out most second hand bikes

 

[grover1979]

If you knew you were innocent you had nothing to worry about, so unsure why it affected your health.

So the police / law courts / CPS never make mistakes, and only the guilty should worry?

There are loads of cases of people suffering ill-health or worse after being accused/suspected of crimes they didn't commit.

at least someones on the level

 

[Russell]

There are loads of cases of people suffering ill-health or worse after being accused/suspected of crimes they didn't commit.

Murdoch never really recovered, although I think that had more to do with B.As constant harrassement.

 

[legrandefromage]

''...any advice on avoiding stolen bikes...

Dont steal them.

 

[grover1979]

''...any advice on avoiding stolen bikes...

Dont steal them.

lol

 

[maverick]

Oh dear.
Grover1979, you were arrested by the information that you have provided already as they Police had information that suggested that you had stolen items at your home or within your sphere of influence. You handled stolen goods, albeit without claimed knowledge, but the specific definition of UK law was met:
1 – You received stolen goods. Your Solicitor should have told you this already, you did have a reasonable excuse to be in possession of them as you exercised due diligence when buying them though.
2 – You undertook the keeping, removing, disposing of or realisation of stolen goods by or for the benefit of another person ie, selling them on.

The other bikes where seized as the attending officers had reasonable grounds to suspect that the items might to be stolen and undertook to identify the correct owners in the time that they held them in their keeping, again something that any Solicitor would have told you.

It appears from your tale of woe that you were given time in a cell, normal practice in a police station, cells are there for the keeping of detained persons, at the time in the station custody block, you were a detained person.
It also suggests that you were not charged to court for the offence of handling stolen goods and that you got your items back, nor mal procedure. The police are not in a position of deciding who is guilty, they are fair and present the evidence as best as is possible to a CPS Solicitor for case decision making as would have been the case here. I suggest that it was not in the public interest to pursue a case against you based upon your reasonable explanation of the facts.

You may feel that your case was and is an unjust way of dealing with potential stolen property, but put yourself in another’s shoes, you see your stolen item for sale on a website like this, you inform the police of this, what would you want them to do……………….?
Your description of the way you were treated sounds a little unjust, but I feel that you are missing some pertinent points to the story that would explain some Police actions.

Good luck with your sales and riding in the future.

 

[grover1979]

i understand the explanation ect my point is infact this
i feel this story should have been shared with others so that perhaps someone else would not be put through what i was. and with the joys of internet nowadays it is easy for criminals to pass their wares many miles away from where they were stolen. the fact i decided the bike was not suited to my riding style decided to flip it for a small profit had i not done this i would still be riding it right now and possibly for many years undetected as a stolen bike it may have then been sold to another unsuspecting buyer and so on my point is how many of you could be riding about on stolen bikes and if the same was to happen you too could find yourself in this situation no one is exempt from the law i thought a receipt would proove it was bought in good faith obviously not the case

 

[sylus]

so on my point is how many of you could be riding about on stolen bikes

I don't ride a bike....I just joined the forum because of the weird people