Frail widower, 87, slams police after six officers raided his home, bundled him in a van kept him in a cell for 15 hours after wrongly accusing him of murdering his wife – who he had only just learned had passed away
- Alfred Gee says officers were threatening to break down front door as a doctor was telling him Margaret had died
A frail 87-year-old widower has described the police as thugs after six officers raided his home and kept him in a cell for 15 hours after wrongly suspecting him of murdering his wife.
Alfred Gee says officers were threatening to break down the front door of his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester as a doctor was telling him Margaret, his wife of 60 years, had died.
The confused pensioner was arrested on suspicion of her murder and bundled into a police van after hospital staff where Margaret was being treated informed them of suspicious bruising on her body.
However, a post-mortem later confirmed the 87-year-old retired factory worker Margaret had died of natural causes and Alfred was released without even being questioned.
When the suspicious bruising was raised by staff at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Alfred insisted paramedics had caused it when they performed CPR on her for 30 minutes.
Alfred Gee (pictured) says officers threatened to break down the front door of his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester as a doctor was telling him his wife Margaret had died
Alfred with his wife of 60 years Margaret on their wedding day
A collect image of Alfred with his wife Margaret
Speaking at his home, retired fireman Alfred told MailOnline: ‘I was on the phone to the doctor who said: ‘I’m sorry to tell you Mr Gee but your wife has passed away’.
‘As he was talking there was a load of very loud bangs on my front door by the police.
‘One of them shouted: “Get this door open now”.
‘They had me sat down in the chair and then they said: “What do you know about these bruises on her body?”
‘I said, “what bruises?” They had carried her into the ambulance and old people bruise very easily.
‘But these bruises were natural. But after ten minutes of that, the officer told me to get up and put my hands up.
‘He then snapped the cuffs on me and told me he was arrested me for the murder of my wife.’
Mr Gee (pictured) was wrongly accused of murdering his wife Margaret
Mr Gee holding up a wedding picture with his wife Margaret at his home in Stockport
The former soldier added: ‘It was the shock of my life. How can they accuse me of murdering my wife?
‘What sort of world are we living in? Where is the compassion?
‘I loved my wife. I’m shattered – my world has gone. And all this because they found one bruise on her neck an others on her.
‘They cordoned off the house and made me walk down the driveway in handcuffs. The neighbours were shocked and couldn’t believe it.
‘They put me in a police van and it was a really rough ride to the station. They locked me in with a guard. Who did they think I was – Jack the Ripper?
‘It was horrible. I could hear people shouting and screaming. It was terrible, terrible.
Mr Gee (speaking at his home in Stockport) recalled being told his wife had passed away before hearing ‘very loud bangs on my front door by the police’
Mr Gee told MailOnline: ‘I loved my wife. I’m shattered – my world has gone. And all this because they found one bruise on her neck an others on her’
Widower Mr Gee pictured in his garden
‘But they didn’t even question me. The pathologist report came through and then they realised what a terrible mistake they made.
‘The police have besmirched my name. I feel I can no longer stay in this house. I’m moving to live in a bungalow.
‘I will never forgive them for as long as I live and they haven’t even written to me to apologise.
‘It is scandalous. It is terrible what they did. They cordoned off the house and made me walk down the driveway in cuffs.
‘They acted like thugs when they arrested me and aren’t fit to be called police officers.
‘They were just out to get me and didn’t check the facts. It’s outrageous.’
Margaret also suffered from skin condition dermatitis which may have contributed to her bruising. The coroner recorded her cause of death as a pulmonary embolism.
Alfred, who later worked as a security guard, has complained to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and GMP did send a letter apologising for their conduct.
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