Brooke Davies
Published December 3, 2025 6:53am
Updated December 3, 2025 6:53am
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Jon Richelieu-Booth, 50, said he went through ’13 weeks of hell’ after posting a photo of himself in August holding a gun on LinkedIn
A Yorkshire man who was arrested in the UK for posing with a gun in the US says he is planning to sue British police, saying he ‘no longer feels welcome in this country’.
Jon Richelieu-Booth, 50, said he went through ’13 weeks of hell’ after posting a photo of himself in August holding a gun on LinkedIn while he was on a holiday in Florida.
The IT consultant, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, said he held the firearm lawfully, on private land and with full permission from its owner.
But a police officer came round to his home and said someone had raised concerns about the picture and he should be wary about what he posts.
Police returned to his residence again around 10pm on August 24 and arrested him.
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The bail document mentioned an allegation of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, along with a separate claim of stalking.
He said the ordeal has destroyed his faith in UK policing and he is now planning a permanent move to the US.
The IT consultant, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, said he held the firearm lawfully, on private land and with full permission from its owner (Picture: LinkedIn)
A police officer came round to his home and said someone had raised concerns about the picture and he should be wary about what he posts (Picture: LinkedIn)
He told the Daily Mail: ‘You’re brought up to respect the police because you think they’re there to protect you and your family. I was brought up by my parents to believe in truth and justice.
‘And as soon as you realise that that’s not the case, that trust is instantly corroded.
‘I’ve not slept for weeks. I lie awake dreading a knock at my door for whatever they’ve made up this week. To be honest, I don’t feel welcome in this country anymore. I don’t feel safe in this country anymore.’
Mr Richelieu-Booth says the complainant behind the police action is a contractor who owes him around £30,000.
He concedes he put a photo of the contractor’s home taken by a business partner onto his LinkedIn page as well.
But Mr Richelieu-Booth added he had tried to show police geolocation evidence the image was taken abroad, but he was told it was ‘not needed’ and he was arrested the following day.
Mr Richelieu-Booth said he has ‘not slept for weeks’ since the ordeal (Picture: Ben Lack Photography Ltd)
He slept overnight in a police cell and officers interviewed his neighbours.
The firearms and stalking allegations were eventually dropped, but he was charged with a public order offence over a different social media post.
He was never told the specific one – only the date of the post. In it, he called the contractor who allegedly owes him money a ‘delinquent’ and told him to ‘do the right thing’.
Mr Richelieu-Booth said: ‘The police told me that a complaint had been made about a social media post of me with a firearm. I believe the person who made the complaint is a client who refused to pay for work.
‘Apparently he was nervous that I’ve got a gun and it looks like a threat, despite the post not having any threat whatsoever.’
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Richelieu-Booth was due to appear at Bradford Magistrate Court on Tuesday, where he could have been jailed for up to six months.
But the case was dropped as, according to the Yorkshire Post, there was ‘not enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction’.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: ‘Police received a complaint of stalking involving serious alarm or distress, relating partly to social media posts, several of which included pictures of a male posing with a variety of firearms which the complainant took to be a threat.
‘Police investigated and charged a man with a public order offence but the case was then discontinued by the CPS.’
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