A Yorkshire businessman found himself at the centre of a police investigation and subsequent arrest after sharing an innocent holiday photograph on professional networking site LinkedIn.
The Holiday Photo That Sparked a Police Investigation
Jon Richelieu-Booth posted a photograph of himself holding a legally owned firearm during a trip to Florida in August. The image showed him on private land with full permission from the weapon's owner, and contained no threatening language according to his account to The Yorkshire Post.
The post simply described his work activities and what he had done that day, making the subsequent police response particularly surprising to the businessman.
Late-Night Arrest and Police Response
Initially, a police officer visited Richelieu-Booth's home to warn him about being cautious with social media posts after someone raised concerns about the picture. However, the situation escalated dramatically when police returned around 10pm on August 24 and arrested him.
The bail document referenced allegations of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, alongside a separate stalking claim. Despite attempting to show officers geolocation evidence proving the photo was taken abroad, Richelieu-Booth claims he was told it was 'not needed'.
He spent a night in a prison cell before facing interrogation about the firearm photograph and another image of a house shared on social media - which he told police he had never visited and was taken by someone else.
Case Collapse and Orwellian Comparisons
After being released on bail until the end of October, with officers conducting three separate visits and interviewing his neighbours, the original allegations were dropped. However, police then charged him with a public order offence relating to a different social media post.
Richelieu-Booth was scheduled to appear at Bradford Magistrate Court on Tuesday, facing a potential six-month jail sentence. The case was ultimately discontinued as prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence for a realistic conviction prospect.
The businessman described the three-month ordeal as 'Orwellian', stating: 'I have not been able to sleep, I've lived in fear of a knock at my door for the last three months. It has damaged my ability to run my business.'
He added: 'It was a massive overreach by the police. I thought 1984 was a book, not an instruction manual.'
West Yorkshire Police confirmed they received a complaint about stalking involving serious alarm, relating partly to social media posts that included pictures of a male posing with firearms. A spokesperson stated they investigated and charged a man with a public order offence before the Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case.
