Updated 14.17
A MAN WHO, was arrested last week after sending a tweet about confronting a Muslim woman in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Brussels, says he plans on making an official complaint against the London Metropolitan Police, and on making a damages claim against them.
46-year-old Matthew Doyle sent a tweet in the aftermath of the terror attacks suggesting that he had confronted a Muslim woman about her reaction in the wake of the attacks.
In the aftermath of the tweet Doyle was castigated on Twitter. He removed the tweet, then claimed he had been joking, then switched tack and reaffirmed the sentiment behind the message.
After his tweet created an online storm, Doyle was arrested by the Met Police on suspicion of incitement to hatred.
He was subsequently released without charge on Friday after the police acknowledged they had no specific power to arrest him in the first place.
“Police may not make charging decisions on offences under Section 19 of the Public Order Act,” the force said in its statement.
There will be further consultation with CPS (Crown Prosecution Service).
False arrest
In a statement today to TheJournal.ie, Doyle affirmed that he intends to sue the Metropolitan Police Force.
“I intend to sue London’s Metropolitan Police… they have falsely arrested and detained me over a period of 48 hours over a potential crime they have no empowerment over,” he said.
They had the audacity to celebrate a wrongful arrest in a tweet before I was formally charged.
I will be forced to leave my neighbourhood in south London for fear of reprisals due to a cack-handed approach by the Metropolitan Police. I am in hiding and my electronic devices are still held by the police.
Doyle added that he mourns “the lives lost In Brussels, Paris and Tunisia (30 Britons killed in that latter incident alone – not that my nationality means any more than others murdered by Islamic Extremists in the last six months)”.
Twitter trolls
In an interview with the Guardian, Doyle now says that he plans to make an official complaint and damages claim against the police.
“In reality, the Met added ammunition to whatever I said,” Doyle said.
They smelt blood, but got egg on both their face and reputation.
Doyle denied that he regretted sending the controversial tweets, saying “I said how I felt at that moment in time”.
If anyone fanned the flames, it was the nameless Twitter trolls who smelt a lynching on their hands.
“For the Met to bow to social media rows, it is not only foolish of them but I will be making a complaint against them and [claiming for] damages for trashing my flat, taking all my electronic stuff from my flat and forcing me to leave London,” he said.
Regarding his initial meeting with the Muslim woman, an interaction which apparently did in fact happen, Doyle said that they had a “polite conversation” before going their separate ways.
“We had a polite conversation and moved on. I thanked her for talking to me,” he said.
The conversation took place in south Croydon. If I was being either threatening or racist, she was free to report me.
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