I was arrested for fraud by false pepresentaion for a tkmaxx store but it was a genuine mistake

[pinkkittin1]

I was arrested for fraud by false pepresentaion from a tkmaxx store in which i returned a lamp that was not bought from that store. I bought two lamps on the same day one from tk maxx priced at 16.99 and the other from debenhams priced at 39.99 and they where both similar i took them home and liked one more than the other and had removed both of the tags.So i put the tag back on 1 and brought it back to tkmaxx not thinking at all but that was not the case the manager called the police and i was street bailed and later had to go to police station to be interviewed. I was really shaken i have an autistic son aged 4 and he has regular outbursts and my mind was all over the place i am a single mother i do, do crazy things like leaving my handbag on my sons coat hanger in school and went up the road for the bus into town not noticing i had my sons lunch bag instead of my handbag so i had to go back and get it.
Any way i have to go back to the police station next week as they released me pending further inquires and i am really petrafied they will send me to jail as i was arrested in 1996 for shoplifting but was given a caution then and let go as it was my first offence i was 20 i am now 34 so this is my second offence. I was really stupid back then and i have never done any thing like that since. I have told the police it was a genuine mistake but the lady cop that is dealing with it just does not care. Plus the manager says he saw me in the store before i went to return the lamp changing a sticker on a mirror but there is no cctv to back this story up but the lady cop is still charging me with this too which i never did all the cctv shows is me walking into store and returning the lamp. I am petrafied i just want to know can they take me to court or jail? I also had a letter from the retail loss prenention saying i owe them 178 pounds for police time there time there staffs time and the cost on the item plus the security. Can any one out there please please

[Orbis-Canus]

Welcome to the real world, and i am not being unkind here. You might or might not have done this, how would i know? What you have to do now is get your act together. The first thing is, no matter how much you are p***ed off about this, STOP FRETTING. Deal with it on, and only on the days comes you can do so, don't sit worrying, get on with your life.
You are not going to die.
Get a solicitor, get in their office and tell them everything, dare i say the truth, whatever it is. You need representation!
Don't think that the cop will have the slightest bit of concern for you, they are trained to do otherwise and as individuals they are incapable of of compassion at a reasonable level, that is why they are police officers and not aid workers.
Stop worrying about jail, unless you act like a nutter, the courts will not intend to send you down.
Let the whole experience be a lesson to you, don't let yourself get into a vulnerable position, always keep in control of your life, don't let some copper have the say on what your future will be.

[ELVIS68]

If they look the same why didn`t you just buy two of the cheaper ones?

[pinkkittin1]

Hi Orbis-Canus
I can say i have not done this i didn't even know what the charge ment till my solicitor told me i was mortiffied when the police came as ok the lamp was not there stock and as soon as he said to me im sorry but you did not purchase this lamp here i realised i had brought the wrong item back to the shop but it was only 16.99 and could not beleive he had rang the police and further still they had arrested me for it all i kept saying was im sorry i made a mistake and i will bring your lamp back to you if that's what you want but he did not answer me just treated me like a theif from there on in and i was crying because i could not get my head around it as i still had to go pick my son up from school that is why they street bailed me. I made a stupid mistake and now i will be paying for the rest of my life!

[pinkkittin1]

Hi ELVIS68
There was no cheaper ones and they where both from different stores only one had a black crystal base and the other had a clear crysstal base and both had black lamp shades too!

[pinkkittin1]

Hi wizard66
My solicitor is on my side and has told me to stick to what i have said as they do not have any proof i wanted to commit a dishonest act and i have told the truth from the start not holding any thing back.
He says there is no case and i can only hope this will be the case when i return to the police station next week!
Thx

[noway2]

well pink if you are being honest here with us/you have a big compo claim against them.hope you win.No need for a solister,do it yourself through the small clames court

[ELVIS68]

Are you saying you took the �39.99 lamp back to the shop where they are �16.99?

[pinkkittin1]

Hi ELVIS68
Yes that is what i am saying i took the more expensive one i bought in debenhams back to tkmaxx and kept the one originally priced at 16.99 i got from tkmaxx as i said they where both very similar. Im just stupid now i have landed in deap hot water!

[paraffin]

pinkkittin:

I'd love to try to help but I'm not willing to spend 20 minutes trying to decipher your jumble of words.

Weren't you taught punctuation at school?

[pinkkittin1]

noway2
I did not like your answer i was only asking for a little advice on what would likely happen thank you for your compashion!

[pinkkittin1]

paraffin
If you have no advice then please kindly spare me from your waffling!!!

[jno]

as Elvis said... you're being charged for taking an expensive lamp back and requesting they give you less than half the price for it? If it was the other way round... You're not going to jail over this. Get yourself a decent lawyer and the court may even throw the whole thing out.

[jno]

oh, and if you have the receipts, keep them as evidence

[pinkkittin1]

Hi jno
I don't have the receipts the manager took them from me and gave them to the police lady! Thank you for your words but it does not stop me from worrying.
I guess i wil find out pretty soon eh?

[ELVIS68]

There`s fook all to worry about, you wern`t doing it for financial gains so I can`t see the problem, if the police have got the receipts then ask them what you would`ve gained by taking back a lamp that you paid more money for