Mum Arrested for Taking Away Daughters’ iPads - Police Respond to Backlash

Mother found herself behind bars after confiscating her daughters' iPads, leading to a police investigation that has left many scratching their heads. Amanda Brown, 50, claims she was traumatized after spending hours in a cell following her arrest last month. The police have since clarified that Amanda was indeed "entitled to confiscate" her daughters' devices, but they have refrained from issuing an apology for the distress caused.

Amanda, who works as a history teacher, described her experience as "a complete overreaction." She recounted how officers treated her elderly mother, who is in her 80s, as if she were a criminal. "At no point did they think to themselves, ‘Oh, this is a little bit of an overreaction for a moment, confiscating temporarily her iPads and popping over to her mum's to have a coffee,’" Amanda expressed, clearly frustrated with the situation.

Despite mounting pressure and criticism from former police and crime commissioner Anthony Stansfield, Surrey Police have not issued an apology. The police force maintained that they followed "necessary procedures" during the incident. Chief Superintendent Aimee Ramm, the Northern Divisional Commander, provided a detailed account of the events that led to Amanda's arrest.

According to Ramm, on March 26, officers responded to a report of a concern for safety at an address in Cobham. While there, a man in his 40s reported the theft of two iPads. This prompted the officers to conduct further inquiries at a second address, where Amanda was questioned about the iPads. She denied any knowledge of their whereabouts, but a tracking device indicated that the iPads were indeed at her location.

Officers encouraged Amanda to return the items to resolve the matter amicably. However, when she did not comply, they arrested her on suspicion of theft. Following her arrest, a search was conducted under post-arrest powers, and the iPads were located. During this time, the police also called for an ambulance due to another concern for safety.

As the initial officers concluded their shift, they were replaced by two new colleagues. Amanda was taken into custody, where standard procedures were followed, including a risk assessment and consultation with a healthcare professional. The process involved taking her fingerprints and custody photos, which added to her distress.

There was a notable delay of three hours between notifying Amanda's solicitor and the consultation being ready. Eventually, she was released on conditional bail while further inquiries were conducted to determine the ownership of the iPads. The bail conditions prohibited her from speaking to anyone connected to the investigation, including her daughters, while the police continued their inquiries.

After thorough investigations, officers confirmed that the iPads indeed belonged to Amanda's children, validating her right to confiscate the devices. Consequently, the case was closed the following day with no further action taken, and the bail conditions were lifted. However, police did visit the daughters' school, but this was related to the initial concern for safety rather than the confiscation incident.