Police broke into my home - any advice?

[NA1988]

Hello, I'm uncertain if this is the appropriate platform for seeking advice, but I would appreciate any guidance you can offer.
During the early hours of the morning, the police forcefully entered my home and apprehended my husband. To provide a brief overview, around 5 am, a group of 10-15 officers forcefully entered my residence, breaking down two doors in the process. The entire incident unfolded in the presence of me and our four children, making it an extremely traumatic experience. Following the entry, my husband was arrested upstairs and brought downstairs (in handcuffs). we were detain upstairs. Downstairs my husband was asked his name and to confirm our address. It was at this point that the officers realized they had mistakenly targeted the wrong address. Subsequently, my husband was uncuffed, and the entire team of officers vacated our premises. The damaged doors were boarded up, and we were advised to file a claim. While we have received payment for the doors, we are now seeking further redress for the trespass, violation of privacy, arrest/detainment, trauma. Our youngest child is 8 years old, and our eldest is 14. I would like to inquire about what aspects I can seek compensation for and at what estimated value.

I will be consulting a solicitor, however haven't had good experience in the past, so if I can I will handle the claim myself.

This happened in West Midlands UK

Thank you

No advice, but, Jesus! That must have been terrifying.

There's a solicitor who specialises in this wort of thing and blogs on it:

https://iaingould.co.uk/

I think he works for an outfit called DPP Law.

I could Be wrong but I would be surprised if you will get any money for this, no matter how terrifying it was. It was a dreadful mistake but a mistake nonetheless. The police themselves might be able to offer trauma counselling.

An honest mistake or carelessness?

Iain Gould's blog refers to similar cases.

They said they used google maps to identify the house.
even on the morning of the break-in not one officer though to look at the door number.

it was, children still having nightmares

So they would have known it was the wrong address if they looked at the door number? (Rather than a mistake e.g. you recently moved in etc.?) They just looked at whatever photo came on google maps and never corroborated on site?

This happened to my dh before I met him. His friend who’s a Sargent in the police was present and she flashed her card at them. They got as far as knocking the door down entering the hallway, saw his friend’s hi-vis, she flashed her ID card and red faces all round. Needless to say they replaced his door forthwith and got an apology. The house they wanted was in the next street 🙄
I don’t know how I’d cope with having my dc in the house at the time. I’d definitely raise it with your county commissioner.

Terrible thing to happen, but why is your first thought to make some money out of it?

@BombaySamphire Perhaps to pay for counselling for the children?

Too fucking right the police should pay for this. What a fuck up by police.

That sounds dreadful.

Solicitor for legal advice.

I'd suggest you contact victim support as you could probably all do with support and advice on the trauma side of things.

It's called justice and redress.

I don't think contemplating being compensated for the experience is 'making money out of it'.

Every man and his dog knows that you can be compensated for stuff that was not your fault. I've no doubt some people are way to quick on what they believe is a compo gravy train. Some are even fraudulent - see crash for cash and stuff with 'food poisoning' abroad.

Not this one though.

Why would her flashing her warrant card at them mean anything? I used to work a civilian role in a large police force, two officers I knew went to prison. I don't think flashing their warrant cards gave them some magical protection.

It's not. It to get some redress for a horrible horrible traumatic experience.

I do think we need some context to advise :)
was it that you’ve just moved in say and they were looking for the previous occupant or did they get the wrong house number or street name?

and we trust these clowns with guns.

The general position in England is that the police can do no wrong. Certainly when it comes to "good faith" operations like this.

It's not clear from your OP whether they executed a faulty warrant correctly, or a correct warrant incorrectly. Not that it makes much difference.

You may be able to wrangle an ex-gratia payment, if you are nice about it. Otherwise that's what insurance is for.

Obviously complain to your MP etc.

What on earth has that got to do with the law ?

This happed in November last year, so its not my first thought

This is awful.

What a stupid mistake to make though! How can that even happen. My house is constantly mixed up with several houses as the numbers are weird. I bet it happens lot.

I really hope you can all recover.

Also I think you may get more appropriate advice if you change your title to the police got the wrong address or something.

I've lived at my current residence for 6 years.
They advised they just looked at the house on maps.

We had an actual break in when I was a child, loud and violent (lived in S. Africa). I still get frightened when I hear an unexpected noise at night and it’s been 30 years. For your children, that’s what it would have been like. Even when realising it was the police, the children won’t just calm down and forget the terror of the first bang, the doors breaking and all the rest of it.

What’s the contact from the police been like? What have they said/done or offered so far?

I would absolutely seek a financial settlement to pay for counselling for the children.

What’s the contact from the police been like? What have they said/done or offered so far?

"Lessons will be learned"