Neighbour falsely reported me to the police

[Galaxy1989]

Hi all

So I have had issues with my neighbour for a few years.
She has made four false reports to social services four times since September 2023. We know it's her because of things that were said that made it obvious but not obvious enough that it was proof for the police if that makes sense.
We did report to the police the last three times it happened and they logged it but couldn't do anything due to proof.
Luckily social services knew it was all rubbish.

This lady has told so many lies in the past and blamed people for things. She would cause trouble with some other neighbours too but they've now moved.

Anyway a few weeks ago a police officer came round and said she had accused me of sending her threatening letters and funeral plans! I denied this completely because it's not true! But I was honest about how I felt about her because of the trouble she has caused in the past and I said to him I think she's making it up/doing it to herself to cause trouble.
I completely forgot all about it after a few days until this week when two police officers turned up to arrest me!
They didn't luckily because I had an urgent medical appointment but I had to go down to the police station the next day to have an interview under caution.
She recently got another letter and the letter basically is as if it's me that wrote it!
They're investigating but I'm honestly in shock. How can they believe this for a second??
The police officer said an email address was given for the funeral plans in her name so they're going to try and find out whose ip address links to it.
Is there not more they can do??
This is putting so much stress on my health, I'm having chest pains, panic attacks, etc.
I know I havent done anything but it's still awful to be accused and have this pressure and wonder god knows what she will do next!!

How can they attempt to arrest someone when they have zero proof? As if I would write a letter basically admitting it was me if I was writing hate mail!!!

That's rubbish really. I do understand the cost but it's still crap

I genuinely have nothing to print a letter off on either so I don't understand how they think I would have done it

Did you tell them about the false reports to social services? As SS know they were unfounded, they'd be able to confirm her behaviour?

There things a few people could know really so not just me. It was as if I had written the letter but just not signed my name. That's how much she has made it look like I wrote it

Re the IP address - check to make sure your WiFi is password protected because she could have managed to use it from her house if she's a close enough neighbour or even parked near your house.

I did but she didn't give her name to social services, she did it anonymously. That's why the police couldn't do anything about it

If you really feel hard done by, keep all the evidence/documentation and go to the police for "harassment".

Thank you, ours is definitely password protected

Thank you. They said I can put in a report about that but only once this is all done with

It sounds like the neighbour is harassing the OP.

You need to tell the police you want to make a complaint about her harrassment. If they find that she had made this up they may also charge her for perverting the course of justice

Honestly OP if you genuinely haven’t done anything then I wouldn’t waste another second of your time worrying about it. Just make sure any further interviews you have a solicitor with you, I’d always advise that regardless when attending an interview under caution, it is crucial. Anything said in there can be used as evidence and so what you do or don’t say is very important, you really need your own solicitor there to protect you.

@Galaxy1989 Every printer has a series of invisible markings onto the page when it is used. It is not a well-known fact but it is a digital fingerprint. Ask the police to examine both of your printers.

Are you sure you have never allowed her to connect to your wifi network?

They can and they do. It happened to my son.

People saying the police won't do this, you're being very naive. Look at what Caroline Farrow has been through, for instance.

you beat me to it!
was gonna say don't let the door hit you or some such witticism

Thank you, I will be doing that but they said I can't until this investigation is over

Thank you, I will definitely have a solicitor if they want to talk to me again

Thank you. My husband said this about the printer and I said this to the police officer and he said it would be down to the people doing the technical side of it all.

No she has definitely never connected to our wifi

Oh no I'm sorry to hear that

As others have said, please make use of a solicitor, especially if you are interviewed, under any circumstances, by the police. They can and will stop you from (accidentally or incidentally) incriminating yourself.

Sorry to have to say it, but do not trust the police to be honest, decent or truthful.

Thank you. I've definitely lost a lot of trust in the police because of this

@Galaxy1989 thank you. It didn't get to the level of the police but I had to leave the place I was because I was so upset about it.
If the letter was posted, with a stamp, then could you prove your movements weren't near the place it was posted, and what about handwriting? It's not fair for you to have to turn detective though. It's clear she's horrible so she either made it up or one of her other many enemies did it. I'd report her for harassment.

The IP address will be linked to the address of where the email/brochure request was sent from. So it could be her home address or a library etc…

A lot of people don't know how easy it is to be arrested. I understand why people lose trust in the police for things like this but they're duty bound to investigate and that outcome could be real evidence, no evidence or a situation like this, fake evidence.

Without interviewing you, they don't have your side of the story.

If someone had sent you a letter like that (genuinely!) would you want them to investigated and bring the suspect in for interview? How do the officers they determine a real/false letter that's been out in front of them by someone who's given a statement meaning she'd happily get up and tell her account in court? They don't know you personally so as much as it feels offensive, they're just doing their job.