A senior citizen in Leicester faced a distressing ordeal when police cordoned off his residence and arrested him on suspicion of involvement in a murder case. Bobby Carmichael, aged 79, endured 15 hours in police custody before learning that the individual discovered in a city park had actually passed away due to natural causes.

Mr. Carmichael, residing in Beaumont Leys, Leicester, recounted the unsettling incident involving himself and a female companion who were detained after she stumbled upon the deceased in the city center park. The woman had ventured into Castle Gardens to search for a lost doll from the previous night when the discovery was made.

Following the incident, police arrived at Mr. Carmichael’s home, and his friend was taken away, leaving him bewildered by the turn of events. It was later revealed that the deceased individual was someone Mr. Carmichael had known for years due to their shared background in taxi driving in Leicester.

Expressing his dismay, Mr. Carmichael criticized the police response as excessive and described his time in custody as a “nightmare.” Despite receiving an apology from the police for the wrongful arrest, he expressed deep concern over the intrusive police cordon at his residence.

Leicestershire Police stated that an investigation would be conducted to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. Detective Inspector Lorna Granville, the lead investigator, explained that the arrests and cordoning off of the area were carried out in accordance with the law based on the available information at the time. After a post-mortem examination revealed the man had died from a suspected medical issue, both Mr. Carmichael and his friend were released without further action.

DI Granville emphasized that officers had engaged with the individuals arrested to clarify the necessity of their actions and acknowledged the distress caused by the situation.