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Businessman who grabbed a thug for smashing a window is charged with assault
Last updated at 12:57pm on 07.07.08
Steve Kink faces an assault charge after detaining a suspect
A businessman was stunned when he detained a yob for smashing a shop window only to be charged by police with assault.
Steve Kink apprehended a thug after catching him breaking into a mobile phone shop late at night.
Although the 47-year-old was punched in the face, he managed to pin the offender to the floor.
Passers-by called the police while he stood over him until officers arrested the 25-year-old man.
Mr Kink, who owns a tattoo parlour, was stunned when he found out the next day the suspect had been let off with a caution for criminal damage.
But his shock turned to fury when days later police officers turned up at his house to arrest him for assaulting the thug.
He was taken to his local police station and held in a cell for six hours before being interviewed.
He was then charged with assault and battery and is due to appear before magistrates next week.
Mr Kink said he is appalled at the way he is being treated. He said: 'I thought I was doing the right thing by making a bit of a citizen's arrest. All I did was use reasonable force to hold him down.
'The officers who turned up appeared grateful at first but now I am facing an assault charge.'
Mr Kink was sitting in his wife's town centre bar in Weymouth, Dorset, when he heard a security alarm go off.
He went outside and confronted two men stood near to the Phone Zone store which had a smashed window.
Mr Kink, who is registered disabled following a motorcycle accident 20 years ago, said he was met with a volley of abuse from the pair before being hit.
He said: '"I accused one of them of smashing the window and he said "'what the f*** has it got to do with you?"
'He then took a swing at me and punched me just under my left eye. I grabbed hold of him and managed to sweep one of his legs from under him and I held him there by putting the toe of my shoe on his shoulder blade.
'There were lots of other people around at this stage and somebody had hold of the other bloke he was with. When the police arrived I stepped back and he kicked off at them. When he was put in the police car he tried to kick in the windows.'
A few days later police turned up at Mr Kink's home. 'There were three police officers and a dog handler there. They told me I was being arrested for assault,' he said.
The owner of the Phone Zone store, who did not wish to be named, said he has been left out of pocket by the damage.
He said: 'I am very grateful for what Steve did and at the end of the day he has done the police's job for them.
'The damage to the window was £250 but I don't know how and when I am going to get that back.'
A spokesman for Dorset Police confirmed that Mr Kink had been charged with assault over the incident.
Reader views (30)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
Wow..nice to see stupidity thrives on both sides of the pond.
And we wonder why people in our society today don't help strangers or intervene.
- Ted, Washington DC, USA
This is proof of why the UK's justice system is a joke. Fair play to Steve Kink for trying to help, but I bet that's the last time he ever helps the police. I too have been let down by the same justice system. An unknown prankster thought it would be hilarious to anonymously (or rather cowardly) tell the police I was making counterfeit money (which I am not and never have), so at 7am one morning last July the police broke into my house and searched every room in my house for 40 minutes (and found nothing illegal) as my 8 year old daughter and I could sit in our nightdresses and watch in tears. I too will never trust the justice system. The law only protects the criminals and not the victims or the good citizens.
- Kirstin Lydon, Birmingham, UK
He's lucky the perpertrator wasn't a minority, otherwise he would have been charged with a hate crime too.
When the law fails, vigilante justice is the result. Two or three years from now, you people will be lynching or beating such criminals, and attacking the police if they interfere.
This will not end well.
- Bruce Dearborn Walker, Connecticut, USA
Why the surprise - what surprises me is that they did not shot him in the head as they are known to do. He only assaulted a criminal therefore he should get 10 years in prison while the criminal should be give parole in order to continue breaking into place while trying to support his ole mum.
- Rich, San 'Agnelo USA
Labour equal rights for all means no rights for the right, only rights for the victims of society, like criminals. Then the criminals support labour. You see it works and it gets all the votes. Until reality hits the electorate. It may be wrong to arrest the citizen and release the criminal. It is certainly very stupid, but it is easy, and the citizen does co-operate. So the labour politician is tough on crime, that is the citizen, and tough on the cause of crime by arresting the citizen who 'caused' the crime. Also some altering of the definition of crime helps remove many crimes from being a crime at all. So stealing a mobile is not theft unless the special multi digit number accessed on the mobile itself is handed in to the police. But no one has the number as their mobile was stolen. George Orwell had the right ideas only just starting out, not so imaginative or corrupt as the labour policy makers.
The surprising bit is that people took so long to notice the labour headline that appeals to all voters, with the small print that in fact does the opposite, and favours all those not favoured by the headline. So heading 'Brown solves housing problem' small print '1,000 new homes may be built'. When the nation needs 250,000 new homes. Headline 'Brown beaks boom-bust cycle', small print 'worst financial crisis and personal indebtedness since The Depression'. Brown's jaw hangs open, because he can not believe a word of what he has said.
- Reality, bradford
These days, the police seem completely unwilling to do their jobs and when someone does it for them, this is the result. I supported the police when the government cut their pay rise, but maybe the government new things we didn't... This particular force should have it's budget slashed until it learns to focus on real criminals. The police can only operate with the support of the public and forces like this a skating on wafer thin ice...
- Zady, London
Every time I read something about the UK I think the US isn't quite as bad as I thought.
- Rob, Rob, USA
The only advice I can give to anyone still in the UK at this point is: emigrate.
When the police will arrest anyone who intervenes to stop a criminal, there's no hope left for a return to sanity in your country.
- John C. Randolph, Cupertino, California, USA
Has all common sense gone from England? I'm from there, but now living in the USA. I have been thinking of returning, but the more news like this that I read, the less inclined I am to ever return.
- Ian, new orleans, USA
The fact that people as stupid as those responsible at Dorset police are allowed to be in any position of authority is a large part of what's wrong with this country. I wish there were compulsory IQ tests or something for the police force - of course, it would apparently mean replacing most of the force, but that's surely a good thing.
- Dominic, Sussex
What the heck is going on with England these days? Every time I check the news it's one step closer to police state! This from the country that gave us the Magna Carta?! Orwell would be spinning in his grave.
- James Mitchell, Livermore, CA USA
Dorset Police are clearly a bunch of retarded monkeys. Is it any wonder the British police rightly believe that the police are their enemies!
- Cameron, London, W2
Does not surprise me, my sister went to a Surrey Police station to report a hit and run accident and was cautioned for not giving her name and address to the perpetrator, who by the way to this day have failed to apprehend even though they had full description, vehicle details and the vehicle registration!
- Paxton, N17
Chief Constable Martin Baker, what are YOU going to do about this?
- Mike, London
Didn't Steve Kink simply exercise a citizen's arrest?
Presumably Mr Kink will now be advised to sue either "the police" or "the offender" who smashed the window for psychological damage that this whole incident has caused him? I doubt that Mr Kink will ever wish to assist the police again!
What did he get for his troubles? Mr Kink was punched in the face and arrested for being a good citizen!
Clearly had the offender "not offended" then Mr Kink would not have suffered and similarly had there been a police presence either before the incident (then it is unlikely to have taken place) or immediately afterwards (then the police could have apprehended the offender themselves) and Mr Kink would not have suffered as a result.
Bearing in mind this occurred in the town centre of Weymouth it really doesn't inspire confidence in either "law & order" or "the police" in that area! After all, why was there "no police presence" in the immediate area i.e. in the town centre??
This is a clear indication that "potential tourists and visitors alike" should avoid Weymouth, Dorset like the plague!
- Fraser, Telford Park
Are the CPS and the Police so ignorant of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) (s24A) that they do not recognise the citizen's statutory powers of arrest?
Mr Kink detained a suspect he observed committing a crime and he used what eminently appears by this account to be reasonable force to do so until a Constable arrived on the scene.
- Blackstone Coke, London
Hopefully when it comes to court the magistrate will express the view of the public to these jobsworth politically correct plods!
- Martyn Parry, Macclesfield, Cheshire
The police are merely acting as an old fashioned trade union and protecting their area of employment. Should the public start doing their work for them, where would they be?
- Peter Haldane, London
I do not believe it, even the police cannot be that stupid! There must be something else going on here, there just has to be!
- Steve, London UK
Did the robber press charges or did the police do this to up their arrest and conviction statistics?
- James, London
With action like this one, how then can crime be curtailed? The right of the criminals are very well protected while the innocent people are criminalized. When you are attacked, you are not expected to fight back. You are to stand still and be killed so that our police can come forward to request for information from members of the public. What exactly is this society turning into? Honestly truly does not pay in United Kingdom. It's so disheartening!
- Ngozi Anukem, London
Be proud you people who have voted New Labour for the last 10 years. This is what we have come too, the criminal is let off, probably with a few quid and a playstation, while the public are charged and put through the courts. Many people saw this coming many years ago but have been branded all sorts, now with more stories of this type about the chickens most certainly are coming home to roost. We really all should just leave our property open so we make the criminals life even easier, hell Gordon may even make that law soon. This country has gone to the dogs and its a long way back, even if we can get it back.
- Darren, London UK
What a double insult - risk death or injury by restraining law breakers and then get arrested for it. Maybe the Evening Standard should sponsor an annual award ceremony for heroes like this.
- Hughie, Surrey, UK
I wish I had not read this story, as it has done no good for my blood pressure. If you had printed this story ten years ago, I would have been checking that it wasn't 1st April. It is absolutely incredible how much New Labour has changed the country in a decade. I am a respectable person, a traditional supporter of the Police. But even I would avoid them at all costs now. I now know how the criminal classes used to feel.
The final insult to the story is that the thug got a caution for an attempted break in, resisting the Police and trying to kick out the Police cars windows, the good Samaritan making a citizens arrest, with minimal force despite being assaulted, gets a court appearance!
- Stephen, London
Welcome to UK,
they give offenders more power than good citizens like us, I got stopped the other day under the Terrorism Act, but they ignored 4 youths who were entering the tube stations drinking beer and shouting abuse at the police, but they rather stop me, whilst I am in my suit and never had a problem with the law. I did point out to the officers saying they should be stopped, but they ignored me.
So I think we should all wear hoodies and break all laws and maybe we will get a bit of respect from the police.
- Mr L, London
Dixon of Dock Green will be turning in his grave.
- Squiz, Islington
Just what on Earth is the problem with these PC clowns and what sort of idiot senior officers do they employ in Dorset? Anyone remember the days when the public were urged to 'have a go?' Of course we had a Police force in those days who were committed to arresting the wrongdoer, rather than lazy, easy target chasers. I'm not anti-Police, far from it as I was one for 30 years and throughout that time I never saw the need to arrest and charge my witnesses. Get a grip!
- Steve, Hornchurch, England
Day by day and hour by hour Britain is becoming more and more a joke.
In the West Indies this man would be a hailed hero and probably rewarded.
In Britain he is criminalised. No wonder so many good people are leaving to live elsewhere. Very soon only criminals will be left in Britain.
- Curtis.L, Woodford Green
Well done Steve, you are a real hero, isn't about time police start to ignore stupid things like this and use some common sense
- Ben, London, UK
And the Police wonder why the public no longer have any trust in them.
The police constables should be arrested for impersonating police officers.
- Graham, Fleet
