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Original poster

Iv been called as a witness and I’m very scared the man will find out who I am!

50 replies

Emz2019 · 21/04/2021 21:12

Ok so basically a few weeks back me and my partner were having a few drinks in our bedroom, we have CCTV set up around our house and often have it on the tv in the background if we are not watching tv. So that’s what was happening at that time. I suddenly looked over to the tv and seen a man hiding in our garden..... I could hear a lot of police sirens in the area, I was scared and could see the man was holding a weapon in each hand. I freaked and called 999!!! I told them I was in my room and having a drink and I have cctv and I can see a man in my garden and I can hear police cars all over the area and she asked for my area and I told her and immediately her voice changed and she needed my address and was updating the officers while I was on the phone and they came and they got him.
Now Iv been called as a witness. He’s up for a lot of bad things including attempting to endanger life by arson and GBH and I think ok this is obviously a very dangerous man and I’m scared that In court will I have to give my name and address? The man was drunk at the time and had wrote his car off into some tree near my house too, and I’m scared he will hunt me down and blame me for having cctv and being a witness’s. I’m just freaking out!!! What would you do? What should I do??

OP posts:
Moondust001 · 21/04/2021 21:24

Wow, that's fast - I can't recall the last time a case got to court within weeks. But why should he care? You are a witness to the fact he was in the garden. You saw nothing more. You know nothing about him or about what it is alleged her did. So any testimony you could give is about nothing.

QueenOfPain · 21/04/2021 21:25

Speak to the police and court about your fears and ask what reasonable reassurance and protections they can provide?

Is it not enough for you to just provide the CCTV recording without giving verbal evidence? What are you adding to the court case that isn’t already evident in the CCTV?

1987qwerty · 21/04/2021 21:26

What are you supposed to have witnessed? The weapons?

Original poster
Emz2019 · 21/04/2021 22:20

Just the fact he was hiding in my garden with weapons. He was arrested there and has apparently denied all the charges they have put to him and has been remanded to jail while awaiting trial. They have said without me saying he was hiding in my garden they don’t have much else to go on all the other charges as he’s saying he was walking a friends dog which had ran off and he was looking for it and his friend went another way. I don’t even think he lives anywhere near me. But without me saying he was hiding in my garden with the weapons perfectly matching the time the car was wrote off a very short 3 minute walk from my house which he’s also saying was nothing to do with him but it was a stolen car. But I wasn’t expecting any of this from seeing him hiding to calling police that I’d then need to go to court. I’m not sure when the court case is Iv received a letter telling me I will be called as a witness and what dates am I not available and then it had the charges all stated and how the man pleaded not guilty but was remanded for trial. So I think they are just trying to link him to doing what ever he did, stealing a car and writing it off into a tree then running off and hiding in my garden and he’s saying he’s walking a dog. My heads a bit of a mess about it all.

OP posts:
Choice4567 · 21/04/2021 22:20

Righto.

Bearclaw · 21/04/2021 22:22

Don’t put yourself at risk. Not your problem.

BlueDahlia69 · 22/04/2021 04:14

that IS fast

Springchickpea · 22/04/2021 04:24

Assuming that this is actually a real thing that really happened...

All you can say in court is that you saw a person in your garden, it appears that they were holding weapons, and you called the police. Presumably he knows where he was arrested, so he already knows where you live. You don’t need to speculate on his character or anything other than you saw a person who was then arrested. Think about what might have happened if you were in the garden. Do you really want to miss the chance to help the judicial process?

2Finallypregnant · 22/04/2021 05:33

Just give them a copy of the cctv

SD1978 · 22/04/2021 05:35

So the weapons were not with him, when the police arrived? And everything hinges on whether he was hiding in your garden, where the police found him, or not. And the CCTV you watch with a drink in your bedroom isn't enough for the police to be able to use that? Hmm

RedMarauder · 22/04/2021 05:47

@SD1978

So the weapons were not with him, when the police arrived? And everything hinges on whether he was hiding in your garden, where the police found him, or not. And the CCTV you watch with a drink in your bedroom isn't enough for the police to be able to use that? Hmm
The OP apparently called the police as well so no the CCTV isn't enough.

Anyway once the guy knows there is a witness he is likely to change his plea even if it's right when when OP attends court.

Happened to me twice. The second time the guy knew where we lived, lived not far away, was caught with a weapon and had family who were involved in crime. None of them ever came near us.

RedMarauder · 22/04/2021 05:48

@Bearclaw

Don’t put yourself at risk. Not your problem.
She isn't at risk.
RedMarauder · 22/04/2021 05:54

I forgot to say for each case I was gave a witness statement about 5 times before it went to Court.

The police turned up randomly to ask me my statement again.

I suspect the OP is freaking about giving the first statement.

The are just checking that you are telling the truth.

LizziesTwin · 22/04/2021 06:02

I gave a statement to the police In a similar case - two men running through my garden in the daytime followed by police. They pled guilty and I didn’t have to go to court. They were both repeat criminals and were sentenced to a couple of years in prison.

Diddumz · 22/04/2021 06:04

Yup.

Veterinari · 22/04/2021 06:11

Have you actually given a statement OP?

That key stage seems to be missing from your story

PositivityNeeded · 22/04/2021 06:39

Has your partner been called as a witness too? Have either of you given a statement yet?

CeeceeBloomingdale · 22/04/2021 06:46

Surely he already knows where you live as he was in your garden? Even without you giving evidence the police could play your 999 call and he would know you're the home owner. At this point it's better to give evidence and help them lock him up surely?

TulipSandwiches · 22/04/2021 06:52

My dh witnessed an assault from our window about six weeks ago and his statement was taken that night. At the time the police asked if he would be willing to testify and he said yes and they said he could do it from behind a screen and dh said what would be the point as the bloke already knew where he lived.

The man was let out on bond then rearrested for breaking it and then he went to court and pled guilty for the bond breaking. Now he's in prison until October until the trial for the assault.

Saz432 · 22/04/2021 06:52

@CeeceeBloomingdale

Surely he already knows where you live as he was in your garden? Even without you giving evidence the police could play your 999 call and he would know you're the home owner. At this point it's better to give evidence and help them lock him up surely?
Was just about to say the same - if you as a witness say you called the police and told them he was in your garden, he will surely know where you live.
CroydianSlip · 22/04/2021 06:58

I E had letters like this before when I've stopped at an accident and witnessed an assault in the street. Each time I then had a statement taken and discussed with me and had to sign to say I was prepared to go to curt with that statement. Neither time have I actually had to go in the end nor have I ever been updated nor contacted again.

BingBunnyIsAnnoying · 22/04/2021 06:59

I gave evidence in court after witnessing two guys in their early twenties firing an air rifle at members of the public

They fired at me and hit a bag I was carrying. They thought they were hidden. 999 call, police arrive in minutes, I direct them then leave

Next day gave a statement. I went to court three times as the first two times only one of them turned up. They got six months inside

I wouldn't give evidence again

UCOinanOCG · 22/04/2021 07:03

Have you been called to court as a witness or asked by the police to go and provide a statement to them? I too can't believe something that happened only a few weeks ago would be in court so quickly. There is a massive backlog.

DianaT1969 · 22/04/2021 07:13

Yes, this is all believable.

Howshouldibehave · 22/04/2021 07:21

You saw a man hiding with two weapons in your garden which was caught on cctv, and the police came immediately to arrest him. But then when they got there, he didn’t have the weapons any more?

How!?

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