Personal injury news

Ex-army captain makes compensation claim against police

A retired army captain has won the first round in his compensation claim fight against police who prevented him rescuing valuable heirlooms from a blaze at his country mansion.

83-year old Captain Edmund Carlisle has finally been told by a judge that he can go ahead with a trial by jury in an attempt to win damages from Dyfed-Powys Police, after the incident at his 16th century home in 2003.

When a small outbuilding attached to his £580,000 Tudor manor house caught fire, Captain Carlisle and his 82-year-old wife leapt into action, first summoning the fire brigade and then beginning to rescue their collection of antique furniture and Victorian oil paintings.

As the fire began to take hold of the main house, the elderly ex-cavalryman continued to salvage his belongings until the local police arrived. Concerned that he might suffer a personal injury in the fire, the police ordered Captain Carlisle out of his property for his own safety. The former Life Guard refused, however, and was arrested before being thrown into the back of a police van.

His barrister, Dr Michael Arnheim, said, "Instead of a quick response from the fire service, eight police officers swarmed onto Captain Carlisle's property making a nuisance of themselves.

"They took hold of Captain Carlisle, assaulted him and made his situation worse by not allowing him to rescue his possessions. Neither would they let him direct fire crews when they finally arrived at his home.

"He was stuck in a little cage in the back of a police van while his wife was in another."

The six-bedroom property near the Brecon Beacons National Park was completely gutted in the blaze and the Captain insists it was under-insured.

Making his compensation claim and suing for wrongful arrest, the elderly gentleman said, "I am delighted to have won my first battle but I have not won the war.

"I'm not afraid of taking the police on - I've always been prepared to stick my head above the parapet."