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Freddie O’Neill |
Man falsely jailed is arrested
Guardian Angel who served month inside claims police made new blunder
A GUARDIAN Angel vigilante – who was freed in November after being jailed on a false robbery charge – has been wrongly arrested again after a police blunder.
Now Islington’s police borough commander, Barry Norman, said he would be personally investigating the claims.
The arrest comes after Freddie O’Neill, 44, a devout Christian and a father-of-five, spent a month in Pentonville and Bedford prisons on remand after a trainee detective believed an alleged crack-cocaine addict over Mr O’Neill, who has been commended for saving a police officer. Mr O’ Neill had been falsely accused of robbery.
The case was thrown out at Wood Green Crown Court after it emerged the alleged victim had lied and given a false identity on his witness statement.
But weeks after being freed Mr O’Neill was arrested and thrown into a police van as he walked his puppy, Rebel, close to his home on Caledonian Road.
He said: “They pulled up and told me I was in breach of my bail conditions. I couldn’t believe it since at the time there was so much publicity in the Tribune.
“I was thrown in a police cell for 24 hours and my dog was taken away too.
“I was screaming my innocence but they wouldn’t listen.’
Mr O’Neill was taken to Shoreditch police station and Rebel was taken to Toldpuddle Street in Angel.
“I was unconscious in the cell but then, the following night, they just released me and the desk sergeant said ‘sorry, we made a mistake’.
“This was despite my protestations and calls from my solicitor telling them I had been freed by the judge unconditionally.”
Even though officers apologised to Mr O’Neill he believes it adds weight to his case which is currently being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
He believes police were targeting him because of his campaigning for the Fathers4Justice pressure group.
Mr O’Neill, who worked as a doorman prior to his initial arrest, said: “I’m not going to let this get me down and I’m not going to let the police damage my life.”
Mr O’Neill served two years for violence offfences in the 1980s.
But since then, he has found God, and, although he still kickboxes to keep fit, he has renounced violence and become a registered Guardian Angel, with the London arm of the US vigilante organisation.
Mr O’Neill has tackled numerous drug dealers and robbers and has even received a commendation for saving a British Transport Police officer from being beaten up by four football hooligans.
A police spokeswoman said: “We will continue to look into this matter and contact Mr O’Neill and this will be receiving the personal attention of the borough commander.”
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