Police cordoned off Bobby Carmichael’s home before finding out the man died of natural causes
Bobby Carmichael spent 15 hours in a prison cell after his friend discovered a body in a Leicester park.(Image: Leicester Mercury)
A Leicester pensioner’s life was turned into a “nightmare” when police cordoned off his home and arrested him for murder.
Bobby Carmichael, 79, spent 15 hours in custody before being told the “victim”, who was found in a city park, had died of natural causes.
Mr Carmichael, from Beaumont Leys, said he and a female friend were taken into custody after she discovered a body at Castle Gardens, Leicester, on the evening of Thursday, May 7.
He has spoken of his outrage after police apologised and released him without charge.
Leicestershire Police launched a murder investigation and cordoned off the entire park after the man’s body was found in a bush at just before 8pm.
Two people were arrested on suspicion of murder – a 46-year-old woman and Bobby, both from Leicester.
A post-mortem examination eventually concluded that the man, who was in his 40s, had died following a suspected medical episode.
Following this, police announced that the investigation had been stood down on Friday, May 8, and that both people arrested had been released with no further action taken.
Mr Carmichael said his friend had gone into the park to look for a doll she believed she had lost the night before when she made the discovery.
He told LeicestershireLive: “My friend who I was with said she lost something of hers – a doll – the night before.
“I waited in the car, and as she was coming back, she saw the body. I don’t know what happened with my friend, but she found what she was looking for, and while she was looking, she saw this body. I told her to phone the police.”
Mr Carmichael and his friend went back to his home in Beaumont Leys and were watching TV when there was a knock at the door.
“After about 9pm, the police came round. They took my friend away, and she never came back. I had a policeman here watching me, and then one of them came in and just said, ‘Alright, let’s go’.”
He said he initially had no idea who the deceased man was, later discovering it was someone he had known for years through taxi driving in Leicester.
Mr Carmichael said: “I’d known him for a long time, but I didn’t know it was him. He was a good friend, but we fell out. I was gutted when I found out who it was.”
The park entrance was closed(Image: Leicester Mercury)
He described his time in custody as “a nightmare” and the police response as “over the top”, adding that he was concerned about the police cordon at his home.
Mr Carmichael said: “The police apologised to me as I was picked up for nothing and locked up for the night. Fifteen hours.
“I just can’t believe it. It’s a disgrace. Fifteen hours, and they came in and just said they were sorry. You phone the police to tell them there’s a body there, and you end up getting banged up.
“You never know who’s going to see it and turn up outside. That’s the lowest of the low, really, when you’re innocent and don’t know what they’re doing. It was vile and just horrible. The police apologised to me, but it’s too late for that.”
Leicestershire Police said an investigation will be conducted on behalf of HM Coroner to determine the circumstances that led to the man’s death.
Detective Inspector Lorna Granville, the senior investigating officer, said officers were obliged to make the arrests based on the information available at the time.
She said the cordoning off of the area and the arrests were lawful and made in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
DI Granville said that following the post-mortem examination on Friday, which concluded the man had died as a result of a suspected medical episode, both individuals were released with no further action taken.
She added that officers had spoken with those arrested to explain why the actions were necessary and “acknowledged the distress the situation may have caused them”.