Withdrawing A Statement

[Sam77]

I need some advice on how I actually withdraw a statement. Can I just go to the police station and make a second statement.

[ummmm]

Yes but they'll keep your first statement and want to know why you're changing it.

[ummmm]

That was a 'yes' to a second statement. You can't actually withdraw the first.

[Sam77]

I don't believe the first one I made was true, I was in shock, myself and my family are now in danger, we all live on the same estate and the defendant also lives here and so does his family.

[Sam77]

I just don't know how I go about doing it.

[ummmm]

Have you got the name of the police officer/s who took the statement?

[Sam77]

The police are messing me about, they will not give me any details what so ever. I have to keep calling 101 and going through the whole thing to speak to someone, get told someone will call me and no one does. All I have is the date.

[Sam77]

All I know is that it was an officer wth the trident team

[EDDIE51]

You CAN NOT withdraw a statement. Once made it forms part of the evidence if the case does get to court. The only thing you can do is to make a second statement explaining why the first one was wrong, both statements will used as evidence in court.
You say you will be in danger as the defendant & his family live on the same estate as you do. Fear of reprisal is one of the main reasons that people want to withdraw a statement and is also the reason that you can not withdraw it. You need to tell the police that you are scared of the defendant and his family and need protection against them. The police take such fear VERY seriously and will warn the defendant to stay away from you. Interfering with or intimidating a witness is a serious offence that will make the sentence he gets a lot more severe . From the wording of your question and reply I do not believe that the real reason you want to withdraw then statement is that it is not true. I think you want to withdraw it because you are scared of the offender and his family.
The police will be thinking the same thing and so will a judge and jury.
In short withdrawing the statement is not a good idea, if you refuse to attend court you can be arrested and taken to court as a 'hostile witness' which will just be more evidence that the defendant is trying to threaten you. It can end up being worse for you and for the defendant!
The Trident team deal with serious crime and major investigations , the fact that Trident are running the investigation is proof that this is rated as a major crime, you can be put on the witness protection scheme if you ask for it, so DO IT NOW!

[EDDIE51]

Trident deal with Gun crime and Gang crime!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trident_Gang_Crime_Command
As said Trident only deal with the most serious cases, so get on the witness protection scheme NOW!

[Peter Pedant]

it is Trident and you have no contact details at all

It may be that you think your statement in more important than they do.

[EDDIE51]

^ Trident as of necessity, operate under a high degree of 'cover' .
Some of their officers are operating in plain clothes , pretending to be gang members to infiltrate the criminal network. Nothing that could blow their cover can be allowed. As said they also operate a robust and effective witness protection scheme so make use of it!

[EDDIE51]

Sam77 I am concerned that you have not got back to us on this!
If Trident is handling the case it is a very serious one, they deal with gun ,knife, drug and gang crime. You need to ask for protection.

[jackthehat]

Marvellous work, EDDIE......have you also trained as a Job's Comforter?

[EcclesCake]

Don't know about that JTH but I do wonder about how much TV Eddie watches?!?!?

[EDDIE51]

^ I watch very little TV , if TV ceased to exist it would not worry me.

[EDDIE51]

Sam77 needs to realize that this is a serious case, so the analog to Job's comforter is appropriate.

[nailit]

//have you also trained as a Job's Comforter?//
Why the sarcasm? EDDIE is answering a question that obviously has a bit more to it than first appears.

[jackthehat]

No, it doesn't.

The question is about how to withdraw a statement......EDDIE has chosen to decorate *that* answer with detail which will only serve to distress the OP even more...

[EDDIE51]

JTH I thought this was just yet another 'how do I withdraw a statement' post. We get them around once a week. Then I saw that to questioner said it was a Trident operation.
That means it is a serious gang war, drug, gun or knife crime, in view of this I told the questioner to seek help from the witness protection program that Trident run for situations such as this.
I see that as help not intimidation.

[nailit]

Thanks for reply jack but might it not distress the OP even more if they were left in the dark as to the seriousness of the situation?
It was the OP who mentioned TRIDENT first, not EDDIE?