UK man says he lived through dystopian nightmare after being arrested for posting photos with guns
Jon Richelieu‑Booth, who runs Phoenix Evolution Consulting, told Fox News Digital that his life turned into a nightmare after he posted pictures of himself holding firearms while on a U.S. trip. He says the trouble began when he celebrated his 50th birthday in Florida over Independence Day. While visiting friends, he was invited to take part in a shooting session – an experience he’d never had before.
After returning to the U.K., he shared a series of photos from the trip on LinkedIn. Within a day or two, police appeared at his home after a complaint had been lodged. They cautioned him about what he could post online. About ten nights later, they barged in at 10:30 p.m., arrested him, and charged him with offenses tied to those firearm images and another post that authorities claimed amounted to “stalking and harassment.” He was questioned, held overnight, and then freed.
Less than two months later, he was arraigned again on a bail‑breach allegation that, according to him, stemmed from a false complaint. He says the accusations are connected to a long‑standing dispute with an ex‑client. He had contracted a government project for this individual, but the client remained unpaid after two years. The alleged incident involved a business partner taking a publicly‑taken photograph outside the client’s house during a final‑demand visit, which Richelieu‑Booth asserts was legal.
He explained that the arrest was based on two social‑media posts: one of him with a shotgun—he admits he was terrified—and the other being his LinkedIn banner featuring the same image. He intended the banner to prompt the client to reach out rather than avoid him.
“The arrest was based on two separate social media posts … I used the photo my business partner took on his premises as a header photo on LinkedIn with the intention he would look at that and go, ‘Why’s this guy posting that? I’d better call him and find out rather than dodging me’ as it had done for months,” he said.
He noted there was no geolocation or evidence that he had been at the address, yet he was still taken into custody. Following his release, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the public‑order charge that came after a third August post, which authorities had said could “cause harassment, fear, alarm and distress.”
Richelieu‑Booth says the ordeal has cost him heavily. He shut down his LinkedIn, losing a trial of Premium that helped him find clients, and had to cancel a weekly Teams show called Coffee the Hashtag Guy that supported other contractors. He was forced to stop networking locally, felt ostracized, and reportedly considered self‑harm.
He is weighing legal action against West Yorkshire Police. “Free speech in the UK? That doesn’t exist,” he said. “It really doesn’t. People are getting locked up for tweets, for memes. It’s embarrassing. It’s George Orwell, it’s ‘1984.’ That wasn’t an instruction manual.”
He has stopped feeling safe in the U.K. and is seriously contemplating relocation to the U.S. After losing his parents in a car crash in 2023, he’s embraced the support of his adoptive American family. “If I moved to America and if that’s God’s plan for me, I would welcome that,” he added.
His story first surfaced in a Yorkshire Post article, drawing international attention. Elon Musk commented on X, writing that the incident underscored the importance of the First and Second Amendments in America.
West Yorkshire Police later confirmed Richelieu‑Booth was charged with a public‑order offense over a stalking complaint tied to the LinkedIn posts, but the case was subsequently dropped by the CPS. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Crown Prosecution Services for further comment.
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