From This Is Bristol 17 July 2012:
A POLICE drug raid went disastrously wrong when officers smashed their way into the wrong house. Officers are believed to have been investigating a house in Wexford Road, Knowle West as part of a crackdown on drugs and anti-social behaviour...
From itv.com 11 October 2012:
Police are investigating a mysterious incident in Brighton, in which four men called at an address looking for someone who does not live there - armed with metal bars and a baseball bat.
Officers were called out at 10.25pm last night to the address in Pett Close, Whitehawk. The men had forced a door and were shouting threats to a man, but nobody of that name lives there. On realising that the men left and are believed to have driven away in a silver hatchback vehicle. Nobody was injured and nothing was taken.
Given the number of houses in the world, and the number of botched police raids and criminal attacks, I suppose it is only a question of time until the police turn up at the wrong address to investigate Crime A and arrest some criminals who have also turned up at the wrong address with the intention of committing Crime B somewhere else. It'll be fun in court though.
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UPDATE: PJH suggests this one:
Bungling police officers managed to smash into the homes of two innocent neighbours during a daylight raid until they finally arrested the right man when he popped out of the next house along to see what all the commotion was about.
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Bonus points who can track down the old sketch about two police officers who solemnly inform the woman who answers the door that her husband has died in car crash. When the woman establishes that it can't possibly have been her husband (different make of car etc) and tells them that they've come to the wrong house the officers reply, no, we've already been to the wrong house, this must be the right one.
I could have sworn it was Hale & Pace but I can't narrow it down more than that. Definitely late 1980s or early 1990s.
UPDATE; Adam Collyer remembers. It was Fry & Laurie, clip on YouTube.
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UPDATE: Both PJH and Adam Collyer seem to have stopped blogging, but I'll link to theirs anyway. It's just the done thing.
Thursday, 11 October 2012
The Wrong House
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9 comments:
No bonus points, but possibly a case of life imitating art?
"Bungling police officers managed to smash into the homes of two innocent neighbours during a daylight raid until they finally arrested the right man when he popped out of the next house along to see what all the commotion was about."
We're living in the age of insanity all right.
"A Bit of Fry and Laurie" from 1989 - watch here on Youtube.
Couldn't possibly be Hale and Pace because it has the potential to be amusing.
FatBigot Towers is in a long terrace and close to the junction with another road. Although the road names change the terrace continues. Four doors north of me is a house of similar type with the same number. Not only have the police attended here when looking for the other house of the same number, but I have had numerous deliveries intended for the other and vice versa.
Only once were the police armed.
The worrying thing is when an ambulance arrives. It makes me think my number's up.
Interesting intersection here between this and the Go Forth And Kill Burglars announcement from Tory conference: how long until bungling plod at the wrong address end up shot by a householder legitimately protecting himself from an armed gang of thugs?
PJH, thanks.
JH, mistakes can happen.
AC, also thanks. I did like Hale & Pace though. Whatever happened to them?
TFB, how would the ambulance drivers know more about your state of health than you yourself. "Mr Bigot, we are sorry to inform you that you've just had a major heart attack."???
JB, that will happen sooner or later as well. In fact it probably has happened, certainly in the USA or in the dim and distant past.
Nah couldn't have been Hale & Pace, a duo once described as " A double act with two straight men"
to which I could only agree ( plus the smaller one, Pace? used ot be mmy brothers PE teacher and we all know there's noting funny about them)
PC, I always liked H&P. Their TV show was far more sophisticated than people give them credit for.
I'm surprised that no-one's mentioned the Drop the Dead Donkey episode where Damien accompanied a police raid on a drug dealer that went into the wrong flat.
Twice.
The first time, they misread a 3 as an 8 and kicked down the door of an old granny. "It's not about my poll tax is it? I've got the cheque stub - look".
Then when they got the right house, they found out that the drug dealer had moved out 3 months ago. And then one of the armed police heard a noise behind him, and shot Flopsy - the bunny belonging to the 8-year-old who lived there.
"At Hendon, Sarge ... they say act fast to save your own life, Sarge."
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