A man from Yorkshire, United Kingdom, faced arrest and a months-long legal battle after posting a holiday photograph of himself holding a firearm in the United States.
From Holiday Snapshot to Police Investigation
Jon Richelieu-Booth shared a picture on LinkedIn in August. The photo was taken during his holiday in Florida, USA, and showed him holding a gun. He stated the firearm was legally owned, used on private land, and he had full permission from the owner. The post, which described his work and daily activities, contained no threatening language.
However, upon his return to the UK, the situation escalated. A police officer visited his home, informing him that someone had raised concerns about the image and he should be careful about his online posts. Later, on August 24 around 10pm, officers returned to his residence and arrested him.
Legal Ordeal and Overnight Detention
The bail document cited allegations of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and a separate stalking claim. Richelieu-Booth attempted to show police geolocation evidence proving the photo was taken abroad but claimed he was told it was "not needed." He spent a night in a prison cell and was interrogated not only about the gun photo but also another image of a house shared on social media, which he said he had never visited and was taken by someone else.
After his release on bail, police visited him on three separate occasions and interviewed his neighbours. While the initial serious allegations of stalking and illegal firearm possession were dropped, he was then charged with a public order offence related to a different social media post.
Case Collapses in Court
Richelieu-Booth was scheduled to appear at Bradford Magistrate Court on Tuesday, December 2, facing a potential six-month jail sentence. However, the case was discontinued as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) determined there was "not enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction."
Expressing his distress, Richelieu-Booth said the experience had a severe impact on his life and business. "I have not been able to sleep, I’ve lived in fear of a knock at my door for the last three months," he told The Yorkshire Post. He criticized the police response as a "massive overreach," adding, "I thought 1984 was a book, not an instruction manual."
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police stated they investigated a complaint of stalking involving serious alarm, partly related to social media posts including pictures of a male posing with firearms, which the complainant perceived as a threat. They confirmed a man was charged with a public order offence, but the case was discontinued by the CPS.
