alt.uk.law

I recently posted a message about the way a case of witness
intimidation was dealt with by a very aggressive, confrontational PC
(subject: 'police bullying victims - a deliberate ploy?')

I feel I was the victim of a death threat, but this PC told me I
wasn't, and I'd like some opinions from people here.

I'd made a statement concerning a little tearaway who'd been harassing
me, and also causing trouble to a lot of my neighbours, and he'd been
arrested because of this.

One night I was approaching my home when this very tough-looking man
came up to me and said "I'm X's brother. If he goes to court, you're
DEAD. I'm coming after you, and I'm going to rip your fucking head
off".

I immediately phoned the police, heard nothing for about 15 hours, and
when I phoned the police again, I was told by a PC that someone would
be seeing me in three days' time to talk about the possible court
case, and they'd deal with this then.

I insisted that someone should come that very afternoon, and so this
PC, sounding very pissed off, said he'd come round.

When he came, he very hastily made out a statement, but didn't seem at
all bothered that I'd been the victim of intimidation.

When I said that this man had made a death threat, his reply amazed
me. He said, "No, that wasn't a death threat. To be a death threat,
the person would have to say something like: "I'm going to kill you".

So, is he right? And if he's wrong, was it probably an honest mistake,
or a way of putting me off and saving himself work? I ask this latter
question because several times PC's have said to me "sorry, we're not
allowed to do that" or "no, that wasn't actually an offence" and when
I've put this to their sergeants, I've been told "That's wrong - they
shouldn't have told you that".