I'd completely forgotten as it was over 20 years ago but my attention was drawn to an episode that happened over the space of 24 hours-by my ex-wife during a telephone chat the other day.

I was assisting in the bookings of acts for a venue had been attempting to help a young man with his music career but hadn't had much success, mainly because he really had no talent, but I was trying to be kind (a big mistake-I should have told him the truth)

One night he appeared at my flat and began demanding money-not only did I have no cash I was pretty upset as he sounded so unreasonable. He threatened to go to the police and make claims that I had sexually assaulted him if I didn't pay up-that was when I threw him out.

An hour later there was a heavy knock on the door and I was arrested and taken to a West End police station where detectives spoke to me for a short time and detailed the allegations.

Fortunately-not having seen this lad for 6 weeks he had assumed I had been in London the whole time-but I had just returned from a month in Shropshire. He made all sorts of claims that supposedly happened over the past month.

A doctor was called to examine him (this must have given him a fright) and found no evidence. In the mean time the detectives had finally contacted the person I had been staying with in Shropshire-a barrister who also acted as a Circuit Judge along with the owner of a local restaurant where I had worked for 3 weeks as a waiter to fill in time and earn some cash.

The lad confesed he had been lying and the police pressed me to have him charged with blackmail. I declined.(possibly a mistake)

Re-visiting this drama brought back the few hours I was in a cell alone and the full horror that went through my mind.

It was a different time then-the hysteria was not so prevelant.But false alegations have been going on forever. Fortunately the police were efficient and professional .

I shudder to think what would have happened if this lad had done a bit of homework and presented his false claims with better details and timing. And this was before the days of compensation. And imagine if they were allegations going back years ago-when it's impossible to re-call what you were doing at the time.

I shudder to think of how many others have fallen prey to such evil people. The media have made this into a cottage industry.

The mind can be a wonderful thing and push awful memories into a forgotten corner-but I guess it's why I'm drawn to injustice and see how easy it is for a person to fall foul of the law when innocent.

This is why King Alfred introduced the burden of proof and the presumtion of innocence. Unfortunately, more recent powers, who claim to be more enlightened and civilized, have reversed centuries of law and removed the safeguards against wrongful conviction.

I'm glad it worked out for you.

Glad you pulled through this,I know very well the position you were in.
Just a thought,in prison solitary confinement is a punishment.In the police cells it is automatic.I spent over 2 days in police custody the first time,most of it in solitary.